Rose Garden Background
The rose garden atop the cemetery site was a fairly recent addition. Father George Schoener, also called “Padre of the Roses” was a Catholic priest who retired to Santa Clara University in 1939. He was an avid rose breeder and the beautiful roses in the rose garden were his contribution to campus. The roses appeared on campus sometime between his arrival in 1939 and his death in 1941. The walls surrounding the rose garden have remained closed off to students and tourists since their establishment.