Our Mother of Sorrows Cemetery History (Information taken from the website of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno https://dioceseofreno.org/userpages/Sorrows_Cemetery.aspx) “It is easier to track the history of Catholic cemeteries in more urban areas of the State. There has been a catholic cemetery in Reno almost since the beginning. In 1879 a transfer of deed was recorded for a parcel of land that was to be used as a cemetery. The land was transferred to a Catholic priest for the use of St. Mary’s Parish. That parish and its cemetery eventually became St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral Parish and cemetery in 1910. Newspaper records show a burial at the original St. Mary’s in April, 1879. According to newspaper accounts and funeral home records, there was a cemetery in Sparks known as Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery. It was apparently established when the town of Sparks was formed in the early 1900’s. However, no one knows where this cemetery was located. The assumption is that when Our Mother of Sorrows cemetery was opened, the cemetery in Sparks was closed and the remains of those buried there were transferred to the new cemetery. Land for Mater Dolorosa (Our Mother of Sorrows) cemetery was purchased from a local rancher just North of downtown Reno in 1928. This cemetery was and still is owned by the Diocese. Located within view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and directly across from what is now a large regional park, this cemetery has a beautiful location. In 1963 because of the growth of the city, it was decided that St. Thomas Cemetery needed to be closed. Space in the cemetery was no longer available and it was not possible to purchase adjacent land. The graves were transferred to Our Mother of Sorrows Cemetery which was just about a mile away.”