Italian mosaic, stained glass, and stations of the cross highlights of new cemetery addition

The new Chapel Mausoleum of the Resurrection at Gate of Heaven Cemetery and Mausoleum in East Hanover features elegant marble crypts, glass and marble cremation niches, and a new chapel section dedicated to cremations. The chapel also showcases several stunning works of liturgical art, including a two-story mosaic of Jesus Christ crafted by Mellini Art Glass & Mosaics U.S., an art studio based in Florence, Italy; a stained glass window saved from a church in Newark’s Vailsburg section; and stations of the cross handcrafted in Austria almost 200 years ago.

Inspired by the magnificent stained-glass window of the Resurrection in the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston, Texas, a team of 10 artisans worked for over a year, choosing tiles from over 1,800 tones of color, and utilizing a technique of mosaic creation from the time of the great Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo.

*Peacemakers stained glass window at Gate of Heaven.*

The Chapel Mausoleum of the Resurrection also features a stained-glass window titled “The Peacemakers,” inspired by the Sermon on the Mount, and features Christ with his 12 apostles. The window was saved from the former Sacred Heart Church in Newark’s Vailsburg section and was installed on the second floor in the new cremation chapel on the opposite side of the mosaic.

The Peacemaker Chapel also features statues of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Claire of Assisi, two saints well-known for being peacemakers, created by Demetz Art Studio. The life-size wooden statue of St. Francis features him holding a dove, a known symbol of peace and the Holy Spirit. The figure of St. Clare features her holding a ciborium.

The final significant art installation includes 14 life-like statues of the stations of the cross handcrafted from wood made in Tyrol, Austria, two centuries ago. The sculptures were saved from St. Peter’s Church (formerly Queen of Angels), built in Newark, around 1860, and restored to their original glory. Val Gardena, an Italian/Austrian area in the heart of the Dolomites, where the statues originated, is world-renowned for its superior quality of statues, religious figures, and church altars.

All are invited to explore the new crypts, niches, and liturgical artwork at Gate of Heaven Cemetery and Mausoleum in East Hanover at an open house weekend on March 9 and 10.

To learn more, visit www.GateofHeavenCemetery.org. Gate of Heaven Cemetery is at 225 Ridgedale Ave., East Hanover, Morris County. Learn more about Catholic Cemeteries at www.rcancem.org