Grady Leneghan, 17, vividly recalls a Greek Orthodox funeral he attended last September in Cleveland. The unique rituals of the ceremony contrasted with the Roman Catholic traditions he was accustomed to, but what struck him most was the absence of family or loved ones for the deceased.
Leneghan served as a pallbearer through Saint Ignatius High School’s St. Joseph of Arimathea Pallbearer Ministry, a program aimed at honoring those who pass away without family by providing student pallbearers to carry them to their final resting place.
The St. Joseph of Arimathea Pallbearer Ministry at Saint Ignatius High School began in 2003 with 12 students, serving three funerals in its inaugural year. Today, the program has grown to include about 400 students annually, who volunteer for up to 180 funerals. Students like Leneghan find the experience both somber and enriching. “It makes you appreciate more of what you are, and who you are as a person,” he said.