Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Calvary Cemetery

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., circa August 2004

1. Calvary Cemetery Marker

Inscription. Consecrated in 1867 to serve the booming populations of the Catholic Irish, Germans and Italians, Calvary became the second Catholic Cemetery in Shelby County. Msgr. Martin Riordan, V.G., of St. Patrick Parish, was a leading proponent and advocate during the early development of Calvary Cemetery along with Terence McCarney, one of the early superintendents. The Cemetery contains the remains of over 45,000 of the faithful departed, include the Martyrs of Memphis; Mary Magdalene Hodges, recipient of the Miracle of Memphis; C.P.J. Mooney, Commercial Appeal editor; and many others, some famous and some known only to God. Many generations of the same families, poor to rich, are buried in Calvary. Almost every religious group that served the Catholic population in Memphis is represented at Calvary, which is still active and growing.

Erected 1999 by Shelby County Historical Commission and Catholic Diocese of Memphis.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Charity & Public Work • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1867.

Location. 35° 6.081′ N,

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90° 1.159′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is on Elvis Presley (Bellevue) Boulevard (U.S. 51), on the right when traveling south. Marker is at entrance to Calvary Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1663 Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis TN 38106, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West Tennessee.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in the Upper South,

in the Mississippi Delta,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: G. P. Hamilton (approx. 0.4 miles away); Chew C. Sawyer (approx. 0.6 miles away); Zion Cemetery (approx. 0.6 miles away); Thomas Moss ~ Calvin McDowell ~ William Henry Stewart (approx. 0.6 miles away);

Entrance to Calvary Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., circa August 2004

2. Entrance to Calvary Cemetery

Marker is to immediate left of photo.

Tennessee Williams’ First Play (approx. 1.1 miles away); Forrest's Artillery Positions (approx. 1.2 miles away); Stax Recording Studios (approx. 1.2 miles away); The Memphis 13/Rozelle Elementary School (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Memphis.

Also see . . . Find a A Grave Link. (Submitted on July 30, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee.)

Additional commentary.
1. Louis Peo Chiozza
One of the nearly famous burials at Calvary is the grave of Louis Peo Chiozza who played major league baseball. "An Infielder, he became the first player to ever bat in a major league night game when he came to the plate for the Phillies against the Reds on May 24, 1935. He eventually grounded out to Cincinatti shortstop Billy Myers." Find A Grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13570834

— Submitted July 30, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee.

Calvary Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., circa August 2004

3. Calvary Cemetery

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on May 16, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3,098 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 16, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.