Rochester 101

Best invisible downtown cemetery

By Steve Lange

The superstitious may want to whistle when they walk through the garden area of Calvary Episcopal Church (111 Third Avenue SW). Located right across the street from the Mayo Clinic, the garden area—with stone benches and tightly trimmed bushes—is a popular gathering place in the summer. But look a little closer at the brick wall designed by longtime local architect Harold Crawford. Along the inside wall is a burial site—a columbarium where approximately 100 people have chosen to bury their ashes. “It might be eerie to some, but it is pretty inspiring,” Father Nick Mezacapa told us previously. “It reminds us that life is short, and when death comes, it is part of the natural cycle of life.” Priority is given to members of the congregation, but spots remain all along the inside of the wall. “No one is dying to get in there,” added Mezacapa.