Members of the University of West Florida’s Undergraduate Anthropology Association (UAA) spent an hour Monday, Oct. 27, cleaning up St. Michael’s Cemetery, focusing specifically on The Priests’ Mound, in preparation for All Saints’ Day.
All Saints’ Day is Saturday, Nov. 1. St. Michael’s Basilica will hold a remembrance service at The Priests’ Mound, where five priests are buried. The priests were moved there in the 1920s, around the time the cemetery’s formal planning began.
John Merts, a senior anthropology major at UWF, said he participated because he enjoys community service.
Jennifer Melcher of the UWF Archaeology Institute said the student cleanup is “really beneficial” for the cemetery, which operates with a limited budget. Melcher, who maintains the cemetery’s GIS map and handles tours, emphasized that it takes community support to maintain the full, no-longer-functioning cemetery.
“Having students come out is a great thing because they get to learn history and engage with the community,” Melcher said.
Isabella Santilli, UAA secretary, is currently working on a virtual tour of St. Michael’s Cemetery focusing on people related to or who participated in the Revolutionary War who are buried there.
Those interested in assisting with clean up at St. Michael’s Cemetery can participate in sessions hosted by the Archaeology Institute on Wednesday mornings. Specific details and sign-up information are available on Argo Pulse.
