This is one of six caches in a series located in the historic town
of Auburn, Indiana. It will take you past beautiful historic homes
and buildings.
This cache is a rubbermaid container with a log book, a pen or a
pencil, and some tradeable items. There is also room for
travelbugs. This is a cemetery so be sure to abide by the dawn to
dusk rule!
CATHOLIC CEMETERY (Immaculate Conception)
On August 30, 1881 four and a half acres of ground, known as
Mader's Addition to the town of Auburn, was purchased for $543.54
to be used as a Catholic cemetery. About two acres have been in use
since that time. With the growth of the Catholic parish in Auburn
it has become necessary to extend the cemetery west toward the
highway. Hopefully, this project will soon begin in order to be
completed in the spring of 1987.
In 1985 a sculpture large enough to be seen from a distance was
designed and built by a former pastor of Immaculate Conception
church, Fr. Henry Mascotte, who holds a Master's Degree in Art from
Notre Dame University.
The design is about 18 ft. long and 7 ft. high and depicts the sun
and moon connected by a large banner form indicating that death is
inevitable in life, a fact we all must face. Water forms below the
moon and farmland under the sun recalls Auburn as a farm community
relying on water for growth. The arch is the passage that is death
from this world to the Kingdom. It is a small opening, 4 ft. 9 ins.
in height, reminding us "unless we become like children we cannot
enter the Kingdom of Heaven." The form is a cross to recall that it
was on the cross that death is overcome.
On the reverse or east side of the sculpture are scenes depicting
the different towns that comprise the Immaculate Conception Church.
Auburn is represented by the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg building, Rieke
logo, the DeKalb County Court House, an Auburn car and the Catholic
Church. Butler is shown by the Butler Building and "Susie" the
deer. The Waterloo train station and New York Central tracks and
the grain silos east of Waterloo recall Waterloo to mind. Finishing
out the towns of the parish, the Spencerville covered bridge and
the St. Joe iron bridge. A field of grain completes the scenes and
recalls a farming community as well as industrial makes up the
whole of Immaculate Conception Church.
On April 27, 1986 the sculpture was blessed and dedicated by Fr.
Mascotte and the present pastor, Fr. Mel Herber, with a large
number of parishioners in attendance.
