O'Rorke Catholic Cemetery

In 1858, John O'Rorke, a carriage shop owner, sold 1 1/8 acres of land to the Catholic Church for use as a cemetery. It is believed that burials continued until 1900. In the 1930s, Eugene McGuinness, the Bishop of Raleigh "turned over" the property to the City. (according to minutes of the Board of Commissioners, 11/25/1938). For the next, 60 years, there was considerable disagreement between the Catholic Church and the City concerning actual ownership of the property, as well as the rights and responsibilities of each party. During this period, this cemetery served as a final resting place for the city's paupers. The official Deed of Gift from Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Raleigh to the City was not signed and filed until July 10, 2009. On September 7, 2010, the Raleigh City Council designated O'Rorke-Catholic Cemetery as a Raleigh Historic Landmark.

Have you ever wandered through Raleigh’s O'Rorke-Catholic Cemetery and wondered about the people buried there? There is an Audio Tour via website.