Neighbors Say Cemetery Cleanup Disturbing Graves

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- Visitors to the St. George's Cemetery said cleanup work on the grounds is disturbing some of the graves.

NewsCenter 5’s Shiba Russell reported neighbors were steamed while showing pictures of the graveyard.

See Pictures

Watch Video

One picture showed a marker that said “Mary” lying in a pile of dirt.

“I cannot believe that anybody could be that heartless and uncaring,” said Sara Spickler. “I don’t care what religion you are. This was sacrilegious.”

Pictures also show track marks from a backhoe, missing headstones by inches.

The Boston Archdiocese owns the land. Spokesman Terrence Donilon said crews were clearing the grounds after receiving complaints about poison ivy and trash, which is why they needed heavy machinery. He said they were also doing pre-Memorial Day cleanup.

Neighbors suspect the cleanup is more than routine maintenance, because the graveyard is the planned site for an 80-foot cell phone tower to be built by T-Mobile.

“The tractor also opened up the access road to the cell tower is going to go. To me that’s too much of a coincidence,” said neighbor John Marshall.

The grounds foreman at the cemetery denied the cleanup had anything to do with an access road.

T-Mobile and the Archdiocese told the MetroWest Daily News that the cleanup and the tower are unrelated.