St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral to End Sheep Program
The annual tradition of housing sheep in the historic Manhattan graveyard will conclude after the 2026 season.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Catholicism
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The Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral will end its seasonal sheep grazing program in the north graveyard after November 2026. This practice, which began in 2013, concludes a thirteen-year tradition of using sheep to maintain the grounds of the active cemetery.
Why it matters
The program was initially established to manage the grass within the burial grounds after the church reopened the site for interments. As the cemetery has served as the final resting place for nearly 300 individuals over the past decade, the church is now ending the sheep initiative.
The grazing program features 3 sheep from Jerry's Farm on Long Island, which have been present since September 2026. Nearly 300 people have been interred at the cemetery since the site reopened for burials over a decade ago.
The players
Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral
A historic Catholic church located in Manhattan that has served as the site for the seasonal sheep grazing program since 2013.
Jerry's Farm
A farm based on Long Island that provided the sheep for the 2026 grazing season.
The details
The sheep graze on the grass of the north graveyard in the NoLIta neighborhood, with animals sourced from a different regional farm each year. The initiative has served as a unique method for maintaining the active Catholic burial grounds since its inception.
Timeline
The grazing program began at the cathedral graveyard in 2013.
Sheep are present in the graveyard from September to November 2026.
The seasonal sheep tradition ends after 2026.
Culture Shift
The end of the sheep program marks a departure from the historical practice of using livestock for urban cemetery groundskeeping. This transition reflects a shift in how modern, dense city environments manage the maintenance of historic, active religious sites.
Residents and visitors in the NoLIta area will no longer see livestock in the church graveyard after the current season concludes. The change will primarily affect those who frequented the site to observe the unique pastoral tradition in an urban setting.
The takeaway
This change signals the conclusion of a distinctive urban maintenance project that blended agricultural tradition with city history. Residents who enjoy unique neighborhood customs should plan to visit the grounds before the sheep are removed in November.
Further reading
For more information on regional religious traditions, visit the Catholicism section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The New York Times.
Live Poll
Should historic urban cemeteries maintain community traditions like seasonal sheep grazing?
