Diocese of Portland Maine dedicates sarcophagus in Cathedral sanctuary to the remains of Bishop David William Bacon
Echo report published on the Diocese of Portland Maine website. Bishop James Ruggieri One hundred fifty-one years after his death, the faithful gathered on November 3, 2025, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland for a memorial Mass for Portland’s first bishop and for the blessing of the bishop’s new tomb. Bishop David William Bacon (b. 1813-d.1874), who served as Bishop of Portland from 1855 to his death in 1874, was previously buried in a crypt beneath the cathedral. However, with that area no longer accessible to the public, the decision was made to transfer his remains to a new sarcophagus located within the main cathedral, providing him a place of honor and respect where people are now able to stop and pray. “As we gather to entomb him anew, we are not simply reinterring the past; we are reawakening gratitude and renewing purpose,” said Bishop James Ruggieri, who celebrated the Mass. “Today, as we bless his new sarcophagus and commend his remains to ...