It was constructed in 1843 under the direction of Archbishop William Walsh,[1] on land provided by local authorities.

Since 1843, some 25,000 persons have been buried at Holy Cross, many of Irish descent, including Canada's fourth Prime Minister, Sir John Sparrow Thompson.

[3] Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel is said to have been built in one day on Aug. 31, 1843 by 2,000 volunteers,[4] although the foundation and some prefabrication had been done in advance.

[2][5] Holy Cross Cemetery served as the primary for Halifax Catholics until 1896, and although interments continued through the twentieth-century the site had fallen into disrepair by 2005.

[1] The Holy Cross Cemetery Trust was established in 2006,[1] and a program of restoration and beautification by volunteers has been in progress since 2008,[6] repairing fences, the chapel,[7][4] and 1800 of the current 2500 gravemarkers.