St. Joseph Cemetery Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

isht kinta: Since the cache owner has not responded to my reviewer log about the cache, nor did they post a note to the cache page telling me and others of their intention to address the issue with it, the cache has been archived.

Some time ago, I posted a note to the cache page requesting the cache owner to post a response on what they were planning to do with the cache. I have no record of a response, and no response tells me that they are not planning on replacing or repairing this cache. If I am wrong with that assumption, please let me know promptly. I can always unarchive the cache for you if needed.

isht kinta
Geocaching Volunteer Reviewer

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Hidden : 7/29/2009
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Cache is located just outside of the cemetery and I struggled with finding a real good hiding spot to share the below history of the area. There is plenty of room to park along side the road to visit the cemetery and the cache.

St. Joseph Cemetery
Information from the book ONLY IN LOUISIANA
By Keith Odom

The first thing that strikes you about St. Joseph Cemetery in Rayne is its immaculate upkeep. Though obviously a mature cemetery, with interments dating from the mid-1800’s, it is aging gracefully. Above ground vaults are glistening white, and patches of greenery between them are scrupulously clipped. The bell tower at nearby St. Joseph Catholic Church rings the Angelus in celestial tones.
Only if you’re attuned to the sun, the shadow, and the time of day do you begin to fill something amiss, something you can’t quite put your finger on. Suddenly it dawns on you: the vaults are oriented north to south instead of east to west. Not northeast to southwest or northwest to southeast, but squarely north to south.
Religious custom in many parts of the world holds that the deceased must be buried with there feet to the east so that they can rise to meet Christ in Judgement Day. Studies have shown that Protestants in Louisiana adhere to this practice much more rigidly than Catholics. One researcher calculated that 90% of Louisiana Protestant cemeteries follow a strict feet to east orientation, while 13% of Louisiana Catholics cemeteries did so. No instances of perpendicular north south orientation were found, however. Tombs in Catholic cemeteries tend to be arranged according to convenience rather than religious conviction. No one is Rayne is sure what kind of “convenience” could have prompted the developers to arrange the tombs as they did.
Some say it was to facilitate drainage. Personnel in the rectory at St. Joseph’s say the tombs might Hve been deliberately positioned so as to face the front of the prior church building, which was at right angles to the present building. Others believe the original church contractors didn’t have a compass. Nothing in parish records gives any clues what transpired during construction. This cemetery was once featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not! because of its idiosyncratic layout.
If you think you can solve the mystery, by all means drop by St. Joseph’s and take a look around

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

"FGBC" naq gnxr n yvggyr gvzr gb purpx guvf cynpr bhg

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


Attributes

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