Frequently Asked Questions

Catholic cemeteries have a long tradition of dedicated service to the Catholic community including non-Catholics spouses, children, parents and other relatives. Christians with a connection to the Catholic Community may also be buried in the Catholic Cemeteries. For more information, or if you have additional questions, we invite you to speak with one of our Family Service Advisors.

It is only natural that those who share the same faith in life will wish to carry on that sense of community in death. When it comes to the issue of death, the sensibilities and needs of Catholics are unique and call for certain practices in the handling and care of the remains of the deceased. Therefore, in the blessed grounds of a Catholic cemetery there are safeguards–mandated by the Church’s Canon Law–which guarantee permanence, reverence and respect for the remains of the deceased.

Personal preference and/or family tradition influence choices in this regard. Above ground entombment in a crypt building appeals to many people, including those who aren’t comfortable with traditional below ground burial. Indoor mausoleum crypts are conducive to visitation in inclement weather.

Yes. By making arrangements in advance, Catholic families can avoid confusion at the time of bereavement and assure themselves of burial and arrangements in the location they desire, and at a price they wish to pay. You will find our Family Service Advisors knowledgeable and sensitive to your needs.

It has been our experience that generally, a husband and wife buy space for themselves. Many families decide to purchase adjoining plots to form a family group. Family plots are also available and can accommodate larger headstones. Crypts for full size caskets and niches for cremated remains may be purchased individually or in family groups. “Private Estates”, distinctively designed personal, private family mausoleums, may also be purchased.

There are a variety of payment options and terms designed to give you the flexibility to remain within your personal budget. Cash, check, MasterCard and Visa are honored for your convenience. Terms may be arranged with a down payment made at the time of a pre-need purchase. At the time of death, the burial arrangements are to be paid in full.

There are a variety of memorialization options available. From flat grave markers to upright monuments and statuary, families can design meaningful and lasting tributes to loved ones. Monuments conform to the regulations that govern different areas of the cemetery.

Cremation is the reduction of the body of a deceased person to recoverable bone fragments through a process that combines intense heat and evaporation. After cooling, the fragments are pulverized. These fragments usually weigh 4 to 10 pounds.

What are commonly called ashes are not ash, but bone fragments. The proper terminology of the fragments is “cremated remains of the body.”

No, it is not required but it may be helpful to discuss your questions and decisions with your priest or Parish counselor.

Yes, in 1963, the Catholic Church eliminated its prohibition against cremation. Although cremation represents a means of disposition preferred by many, it is not the “final disposition”–burial is. Human cremated remains are still the body of the deceased–just in a different form. Thus, cremated remains should be treated with the same respect as the “full” body is treated prior to cremation. Cremated remains are to receive appropriate disposition in the form of traditional in-ground burial or entombment in an above ground columbarium niche, crypt or mausoleum at a private or Catholic cemetery.

Honoring and respecting the deceased by keeping their remains safe, undisturbed, and memorialized is a time honored tradition. It is important to everyone to be remembered. It is also important for family members and future generations to visit these graves–even if only once. We can tell that from the large numbers of people who visit the cemetery each year doing their family genealogy!

No, the document kept on file at the cemetery is called a “permit for disposition.” It is issued by the Health Department Registrar in the county in which the deceased expired.

Yes. For more information, or if you have additional questions, please contact your Parish priest.

Yes. It is recognized that those who die from the act of suicide deserve understanding and compassion. The deceased may have been suffering from a serious psychological instability or overwhelming fear and confusion. Therefore, the church offers funeral and burial rites for those who may have died as a result of suicide. The American edition of the Catholic ritual includes prayers for this specific situation. These prayers evoke forgiveness for the departed and consolation to their family.