The First Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Richter, over a two-justice dissent, determined a hearing must be held to decide whether the remains of Archbishop Fulton Sheen should be removed from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City to Peoria, Illinois, in anticipation of Archbishop Sheen’s Sainthood. The affidavits submitted by Archbishop Sheen’s relatives, stating that the Archbishop would have wanted his remains moved to Illinois, and the Archbishop’s long-time close friend, stating that the Archbishop expressed a wish that his remains be in New York, required a hearing. The petition court had granted the petition for removal of the remains to Illinois:
In June 2016, petitioner brought a proceeding pursuant to Not-For-Profit Corporation Law § 1510(e) seeking to disinter the remains of Archbishop Sheen for removal and transfer to a crypt located in St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria. Petitioner submitted the affidavits of her three siblings, all of whom fully support and consent to the transfer … . …
A body may be disinterred upon the consent of the cemetery owner, the owners of the lot, and certain specified relatives of the deceased (Not-For-Profit Corporation Law § 1510[e]). If such consent cannot be obtained, a court may grant permission to disinter … . There must be a showing of “[g]ood and substantial reasons” before disinterment is allowed … . Although “each case is dependent upon its own peculiar facts and circumstances” … , “[t]he paramount factor a court must consider in granting permission to disinter is the known desires of the decedent” … . “Among other factors, a court must also consider the desires of the decedent’s next of kin” … . Where issues of fact have been raised concerning the decedent’s wishes, the court should order a hearing … . Matter of Cunningham v Trustees of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 2018 NY Slip Op 00815, First Dept 2-6-18
TRUSTS AND ESTATES (NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION LAW PETITION TO DISINTER THE REMAINS OF ARCHBISHOP FULTON SHEEN AND MOVE THEM FROM ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL TO PEORIA ILLINOIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED WITHOUT A HEARING (FIRST DEPT))/CORPORATION LAW (DISINTERMENT, NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION LAW PETITION TO DISINTER THE REMAINS OF ARCHBISHOP FULTON SHEEN AND MOVE THEM FROM ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL TO PEORIA ILLINOIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED WITHOUT A HEARING (FIRST DEPT))/NOT FOR PROFIT CORPORATION LAW (DISINTERMENT, NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION LAW PETITION TO DISINTER THE REMAINS OF ARCHBISHOP FULTON SHEEN AND MOVE THEM FROM ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL TO PEORIA ILLINOIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED WITHOUT A HEARING (FIRST DEPT))/DISINTERMENT (NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION LAW PETITION TO DISINTER THE REMAINS OF ARCHBISHOP FULTON SHEEN AND MOVE THEM FROM ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL TO PEORIA ILLINOIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED WITHOUT A HEARING (FIRST DEPT))/CEMETERIES (DISINTERMENT, NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION LAW PETITION TO DISINTER THE REMAINS OF ARCHBISHOP FULTON SHEEN AND MOVE THEM FROM ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL TO PEORIA ILLINOIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED WITHOUT A HEARING (FIRST DEPT))