Is the Catholic Church in Trouble Again?

You won't find much on the subject. Is it possible it's trying to be covered up? Or is the accuser telling the truth? The Archdiocese of Boston is once again in trouble, this time it's raising a stir with the families of deceased loved ones who've been buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden, Massachusetts.

Tom Keigney, who is a former gravedigger for the Archdiocese of Boston, came forward with claims of desecration at gravesites, as well as theft of gold teeth and other valuables from various graves. Said to have complained years ago to the Catholic Church, he is now coming forward with his story and is attempting to release some of the guilt. Fox25 News station out of Boston, Massachusetts released this story.

To listen to Mr. Keigney tell his tale, it's horrifying to the families that have loved ones buried there. Recently an attorney was hired by one of the families to further investigate what's been going on, and to insure their parents are resting in peace. There was one particular story of a grave being dug to accommodate a man whose wife had previously passed away. Upon digging, it was found that there was not enough room for the liner for him to be buried on top, so they removed her casket and liner and started digging deeper. That section of the cemetery has a high water table, and water started coming in. They pushed the woman's body back into the hole, with the backhoe, placed a liner on top and then proceeded with a "regular" burial for her husband. To type that for this story, and not show emotion and remorse for that family is impossible. There were also other stories of cemetery workers removing gold teeth from skulls, and in fact Mr. Keigney showed a small handful of them when he was interviewed for Fox's news story.

In an effort to research this story and confirm both sides of this unraveling saga, I found nothing to confirm or dispute either side, however I did find a statement released from the Archdiocese of Boston on www.myfoxboston.com , which reads:

"The Catholic Cemetery Association of the Archdiocese of Boston takes pride in providing a fitting-resting place for our beloved dead, especially the poor, as well as sacred places of prayer, beauty and peace for those who mourn. The Archdiocese of Boston is committed to ensuring that our deceased are treated with the dignity they deserve and to following the guidelines, regulations and laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Over the course of more than 20 years, the Archdiocese of Boston has received and investigated numerous claims made by Mr. Thomas Keigney, a former employee of the Catholic Cemetery Association. In each case, Mr. Keigney's claim was thoroughly investigated and proved to be unfounded. These facts were presented to Fox 25 Boston in advance of its story this evening. By airing this story, Fox 25 Boston is demonstrating its intent to feature a sensational story at the expense of the Catholic Cemetery Association and the Archdiocese of Boston. We regret Fox 25 Boston's decision to air this story and the resulting insensitivity to the families with loved ones buried in our cemeteries."

"Grave Robbing" is not a new story, any fan of classical horror stories has heard of it before. Back in time, rumors have floated of gravediggers stealing valuables before the deceased are buried. In this day and age though, one would have hoped the stories have faded and become more of an urban legend. Is this story true? We don't know yet. Time will tell, and after investigations are completed, I'm sure more of the story will come out. Is the Catholic Church a target or is Mr. Keigney trying to settle an old score? In the meantime, several families will wonder the fate of the bodies of their loved ones that have been buried at the Holy Cross Cemetery.

View Tom Keigney's story on My Fox Boston here.