Catholic cemeteries

[TimothyH]

Part of the answer is that Catholics should be buried in consecrated ground. A Catholic owned cemetery is consecrated by the Bishop.

Thank you for reminding people of this.

Some forget that the consecrated Catholic Cemetery is holy ground. Only the sanctuary of a Catholic Church where the altar and tabernacle sit is holier ground.

When you walk in a Catholic cemetery you should act as if you are walking in the sanctuary of the Church.

-Tim-

 

[HollyDolly]

A lot of churches have cemeteries devoted to their faith whether protestant or catholic.
Most town cemeteries are for people of mixed faith,and often start out when the first person in a community died.Catholics may have been buried there as well since there were not enough catholics to even have a parish.
At texasescapes.com they have information on various communities in Texas. Monthalia,in Gonzales County east of San Antonio has seperate cemeteries for catholics, methodists,etc. Yes,even the protestants are seperated by what denomination they belonged to. I assume maybe the town once had a small catholic church,but if so ithas long disappeared.

 

[manualman]

Burying the dead has been a specifically instructed charitable work for catholics since new testament times themselves. As such, the church has not always trusted secular authorities to share our values and priorities in interning the dead in a manner that emphasizes our belief in the resurrection at the end of time.

Not all that long ago, cremation in European societies was an expression of rejection of church teaching on the resurrection. It’s acceptable for catholics today ONLY on the condition that the reason be practical (less space impact, cost impact), not theological.

Here in the states, many cemeteries are commercial operations and state regulations vary wildly. Many older commercial cemeteries here in IL sold plots based only on the guarantee of perpetual burial, not perpetual burial in the particular plot purchased. Thus the owner could, decades later, legally relocate plots somewhere with cheaper land value to facilitate redevelopment. I’m aware of one condo complex built on land that was once cemetery!

In that light, perhaps it’s easier to see why catholics prefer to control our own burial practices.

 

[Usige]

Here in the states, many cemeteries are commercial operations and state regulations vary wildly. Many older commercial cemeteries here in IL sold plots based only on the guarantee of perpetual burial, not perpetual burial in the particular plot purchased. Thus the owner could, decades later, legally relocate plots somewhere with cheaper land value to facilitate redevelopment. I’m aware of one condo complex built on land that was once cemetery!

In that light, perhaps it’s easier to see why catholics prefer to control our own burial practices.

You aren’t kidding.

Cheeseman Park in Denver is located on the site of the city’s first official cemetery (itself an Arapaho Indian burial ground). About 35 years after the first burial there the city fathers thought the disused graveyard would make a great park. The Catholic section had a large number of graves so that section of the cemetery was sold to the diocese of Denver. The Jewish and Chinese sections were similarly sold to be maintained by their populaces. But the protestant section was slated for the park so the city gave families 90 days to move the remains to other cemeteries. After a couple years there were still a number of remains that were still there so they city gave a contract to an unscrupulous undertaker who started hacking up adult bodies and parceling out the pieces into children’s caskets (he was paid by the number of caskets reburied). After the city cancelled his contract they never awarded another to finish moving the remains. It is estimated that as many as 4000 bodies were still there when the grass for the park was planted. Many were paupers or vagrants so I guess they didn’t care. In theory all the remains have been removed, but there was no map of the graves so no one knows if all the remains were re-interred or if there are still remains under concrete and sod.

In 1950 the Catholic section was sold to the city and closed to make way for the botanic gardens. The remains were moved to the main diocesan cemetery. All well and good, except that 6 or 7 years ago two rows of caskets were found on the site when a new parking garage was going to be built. Many were empty, but some still had bones. The bones from each grave were to be combined and all buried in a single casket.

Knowing the history of that cemetery, then I most certainly want to be interred where I know that my remains will be respected.

 

[Tommy999]

Wow, I didn’t realize those type of things happened at cemeteries. That’s disgusting. It now makes more sense to me from a logistical standpoint why Catholics (or anyone else) might want to have their own cemetery that they could control. I could never see that kind of thing happening in my hometown, but maybe the people in Denver felt that way, also.

 

[Usige]

Wow, I didn’t realize those type of things happened at cemeteries. That’s disgusting. It now makes more sense to me from a logistical standpoint why Catholics (or anyone else) might want to have their own cemetery that they could control. I could never see that kind of thing happening in my hometown, but maybe the people in Denver felt that way, also.

Hopefully the dismembering thing is unusual. The moving bodies is not as unusual. One of the reasons they wanted Cheesman Park there is that as Denver expanded east it was becoming an affluent area and land developers saw a neglected cemetery near a number of mansions and thought there has to be a better use for the land.

Personally I didn’t like Cheesman even before I learned it was a former cemetery. It’s long been known as a cruising area for the LGBT community and there were often used condoms in the treed areas, but that’s another discussion.

 

[HollyDolly]

In regards to Chessman,I’ve read some place that it was supposedly haunted.

 

[Tommy999]

In regards to Chessman,I’ve read some place that it was supposedly haunted.

Thinking about that particular cemetery gives me the Heebie-jeebies.

Note: The one in my hometown is on the national registry of historic cemeteries and is well maintained. Sounds like cemeteries come in lots of different shapes and sizes and levels of care. I didn’t realize that before. I figured all were maintained with repect and care, but that’s what I get for assuming.

 

[SyroMalankara]

Hello all,
For those who don’t know me, I am a protestant inquiring into the Catholic faith.

In the hometown where I grew up in the upper Midwest (about 20,000 to 30,000 people) there are a couple of main cemeteries where anyone can buy a plot. There are also a few smaller cemeteries in the town. The city’s history goes back to the first part of the 19th century.

Some sections of those cemeteries were dedicated to families where others are individual plots. Some sections have expensive crypts, vaults, and monuments while others have simple plots with humble headstones, etc. For example, my protestant family members and relatives are pretty near each other in a certain section of one of those cemeteries.

There are a few Catholic families that I know of that chose one of the main cemeteries.

**There is also a Catholic cemetery on land adjacent to a Catholic college and church where most Catholics in that town are buried. I don’t think this cemetery is open for burial except to Catholics. **

Questions:
Do you know if it is Catholic tradition to have Catholic-only cemeteries or would this just be a local practice in my hometown?

If it is not an isolated occurrence, what are some of the reasons to have a Catholic-only cemetery? Historically, was there prejudice by non-Catholics that forced Catholics in the USA to create their own cemeteries or did Catholics just prefer to have their own?

Sorry if this is a mundane question. I realize that more important subjects than this one are discussed on CAF all the time. I was mainly just curious about this. Thanks in advance for your repliies.

In Chicago, most if not all, of the Catholic cemetaries allow non-Catholic relatives to be buried with their Catholic family. Most treat Orthodox the same as Catholics for burial purposes. Some even have a non-Catholic section.

 

[Tommy999]

In Chicago, most if not all, of the Catholic cemetaries allow non-Catholic relatives to be buried with their Catholic family. Most treat Orthodox the same as Catholics for burial purposes. Some even have a non-Catholic section.

Thanks for clarifying that, SyroMalankara. I was wondering what might happen, for instance, if one spouse was Catholic and the other wasn’t. It would be a shame to separate the other spouse of a loving marriage in a different cemetery just for that, although I doubt that scenario comes into play often.