Parish Cemeteries

Purchasing a Burial Lot

Lots in both St. Patrick King Street Cemetery and St. Adalbert Cemetery are sold in order. Each section of the cemetery is designated for certain types of markers or monuments, so that smaller monuments are not dwarfed by larger ones nearby and every memorial can be viewed easily.

Lot Types by Cemetery

Full payment is required before a marker or monument is placed on a lot. For a pre-need lot, full payment is required before a burial. Once a lot is paid in full, a marker or monument may be ordered at any time – many families choose to purchase a lot in advance so that arrangements are already settled before a time of grieving. You may choose any monument company, but foundation work for both cemeteries is done by Rogers Memorial on Enfield Street, who are well acquainted with cemetery specifications.

Burials in Each Grave

Each grave allows a full burial and one urn (cremation) burial, or two urn burials. Double-depth burials are not performed, for reasons of safety and space, so two full burials are never placed in a single grave.

The Catholic Church considers cremated remains as deserving the same respect given to a body in a casket, reflecting the belief that body and soul will be reunited in heaven. For this reason, cremains are buried or entombed in a grave, columbarium, or mausoleum rather than kept elsewhere.

The Deed and Right of Burial

A month or two after payment is received, a certificate known as a Deed is sent to the purchaser. This is not a land deed in the way one buys a house – it is a “right to burial” certificate. The land itself remains the property of the respective Cemetery Association, and any marker, monument, or decoration must adhere to the Cemetery Rules and Regulations.

Purchasers may designate who holds the right to burial in the lot, whether or not that person is a relative – this avoids uncertainty if the purchaser passes away first. If no one is designated, the right to burial passes first to a spouse, then to children, then to siblings, then to nieces and nephews, then to more distant relatives. As long as one person buried in the lot is Catholic, non-Catholics may also be buried there.

Burials and funeral Masses are usually scheduled through a funeral home. An urn burial is sometimes arranged directly with the cemetery office when a family receives cremains directly from a crematory – in these cases, a vault and other casket-related equipment are not needed. Costs for opening and closing a grave vary by day of the week (see rates below).

There is a lot to consider when acquiring a burial lot – it will be the place loved ones visit for generations to come. After weighing the options, contact Nancy Whalen with any questions or to make a purchase.

Grave Rates & Service Fees

An Endowed Care Fund of $100 per grave is included in the price above.

Foundation & Marker Requirements

Saint Patrick and Saint Adalbert foundation requirements, current as of April 1, 2024. Note: St. Adalbert Cemetery has poured foundations under flat markers; St. Patrick Cemetery does not.

Cemetery Rules & Regulations

Cemeteries, like homes and neighborhoods, can be beautiful and attractive or cluttered and untidy – the appearance depends in part on the rules that are followed. Your cooperation with these regulations helps us maintain a beautiful, peaceful cemetery for everyone.

• Memorial specifications. The size and design of all memorial work must meet cemetery specifications. No monument or marker may be set until cemetery charges are paid in full. A cross, the symbol of our faith, must occupy a prominent place on every monument, and all epitaphs and designs must be in harmony with the doctrines of the Catholic Church. Inscriptions or emblems of non-Catholic societies are not permitted.
• Prohibited items. Glass jars, candles, water cans, votive lights, garden flags, wrought-iron planters or holders, palms, balloons, wind chimes, figurines, and similar mementos are forbidden and will be removed without notice.
• Seasonal decorations. Artificial decorations are not permitted during the growing season, April 15 through November 1. Appropriate winter decorations are allowed from November 1 through April 15. The purpose of the regulation is two-fold. First, while one artificial decoration can be attractive, collectively their appearance is quite the opposite, creating a cluttered hodgepodge which seriously distracts from the beauty of the section and the entire cemetery. Secondly, it was not intended that each grave should be permanently decorated. If that were so, the cost of cemetery maintenance – and therefore cemetery lots – would be prohibitive.
• Plants and flowers. Potted plants are permitted, provided they are not dug into the soil. Cut flowers are always permitted in appropriate containers. Both will be removed when their appearance warrants it. Planting flowers or shrubbery directly in the ground is not allowed.
• Ground-level obstructions. Stone or raised grave markers, enclosures, fences, curbing, railings, raised corner posts, or anything else that impedes mowing and trimming are forbidden.
• Animals. Aside from service animals, pets should not be brought into the cemetery.
• Maintenance and cost. In the final analysis, the beauty of the cemetery is reflected in the overall maintenance that we give it. Unfortunately, there is an adverse relationship between the amount of care we can give and the amount of decorations that are permitted on the lots. Our regulations are designed to allow lot owners to decorate without placing an unfair financial burden on them. It is difficult to adopt regulations and policies that will please everyone, but we have tried to be fair in allowing lot owners to decorate, yet keep the costs of our operations, as a result of this, within reason for everyone.
• Disposal costs. In recent years, more stringent environmental controls on dumping have placed a new and unforeseen burden on cemeteries. Virtually everything brought into the cemetery must be disposed of in a dumpster, adding a tremendous annual expense to the maintenance of our cemeteries. No dumping is allowed on the grounds – please place any items removed from a grave near the dumpster for disposal.
• Liability. The Cemetery Association is not responsible for any items placed on a grave site. Restricted items may be removed, and unfortunately items may occasionally be stolen, as the cemetery is not a patrolled environment. Some items, when broken, can create a hazard for workers and visitors.
• A note of remembrance. Rules are designed to keep the cemetery a place of beauty, peace, and prayer, and are subject to change in the best interest of the cemetery. Remember that Mass is celebrated daily for the deceased – a donation to a charitable organization in memory of a loved one is often a meaningful alternative to decorations.

Questions