A team of workers from Loeblein Memorials in Dundalk spent part of March 7 restoring 49 vandalized monuments at St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church Cemetery in Dundalk. The monuments were knocked over Feb. 23, the same week Russia invaded Ukraine.
“It made me sick,” said David Brundick, manager for Loeblein Memorials, remembering seeing the stones on the ground. “It was uncalled for.”
Brundick, who had personally crafted some of the memorials, said Loeblein donated its time and resources toward the restoration effort. The work was completed in a matter of hours.
“We’re part of the community … the community is a family,” Brundick said, whose office is a half-mile from the Ukrainian cemetery. “We’re neighbors and we wanted to help out.”
Brundick said that while some stones could be lifted back in place by hand, larger ones required use of a tractor.
“It was a lot more than we expected them to do,” said Steve Humeniuk, cemetery administrator, on the donation of services by Loeblein Memorials. “It’s an incredible gesture on their part.”
Humeniuk said he’s been getting phone calls from families of the deceased asking how they can help physically or monetarily.
He also mentioned that community outreach to the parish has been incredible with donations of blankets, clothing, medical supplies and money given to the Highlandtown parish. It will be sent directly to Ukraine.
While a motive has not been offered regarding the recent vandalism, Baltimore County Police told the Catholic Review the investigation is ongoing.
Humeniuk said it’s been at least two decades or more since the cemetery saw any problems and certainly not to this extent.
A $100-per-family fundraising campaign is being planned for the parish community that will go toward continued improvements and other repairs to the cemetery.
If you have information regarding vandalism at the cemetery, call Baltimore County detectives at 410-307-2020 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP. A monetary reward is available for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.
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