Holy Rosary Cemetery Booklet

A short video about the Rites of Christian Burial: the Wake, the Funeral Mass or service, and the graveside prayers ...
These are rituals with meaning, rituals that heal
Albany Diocesan Cemeteries production

 

Generations of families have turned to Catholic Cemeteries...
sacred places of remembrance, comfort and hope

We know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal to heaven.  -- 2 Corinthians 5:1

Lord God,
whose days are without end
and whose mercies beyond counting,
keep us mindful
that life is short and the hour of death unknown.
Let your Spirit guide our days on earth
in the ways of holiness and justice,
that we may serve you
in union with the whole Church,
sure in faith, strong in hope, perfected in love.
And when our earthly journey is ended,
lead us rejoicing into your kingdom,
where you live for ever and ever. Amen.

We subscribe to the creed of the Catholic Cemetery Conference:

• We acknowledge that the Catholic cemetery is established to carry out the sacred religious function of the burial and care for the resting places of the deceased.
• We accept the responsibility of implementing this religious function under the direction and supervision of the local Church authority.
• We believe in and are firmly committed to the teachings and rich tradition of the Catholic Church with regard to the deceased and the sacredness of the cemeteries in which their bodies rest.
• We recognize the deep religious significance of the Corporal Work of Mercy involved in the burial of the dead and reverence for the deceased.
• We are dedicated to the respectful care of the people of God who even in death remain a part of the whole Christian community.
• We are committed to encouraging Catholic prayer and devotion for our deceased brothers and sisters especially in our cemeteries.
• We will promote efforts to strengthen and enhance Catholic teachings that relate to death, burial and reverence for the faithful departed.
• We will proclaim through our words, work and example the sacredness of the Human body, belief in the Resurrection and the Christian virtue of hope.

Our Catholic Cemetery is an extension of our church community. It is a sacred testament to our belief in the resurrection of the body -- a holy place for prayer and consolation.

It serves our parish in ministering corporal and spiritual works of mercy:
burying our deceased Catholic brethren and their family members, comforting the sorrowful,
and praying for the living and the dead with all attendant rites of the Roman Catholic Church.

Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church owns and operates Holy Rosary Cemetery for the common good. Those who purchase burial rights (no land or property is purchased) within Catholic cemeteries are issued easements of burial. Rules are adopted for good order and to manifest the church's beliefs and teachings. Compliance with rules and regulations are a condition of the easement.

The Church encourages frequent visits and prayers for the dead; we understand that families express their love and devotion by decorating graves where loved ones are buried. Decorating, however, must be done in a way that does not create a safety hazard, infringe on other lots, impede proper maintenance, diminish the Catholic character of the cemetery, or offend others.

For these reasons, cemeteries adopt regulations for the common good and, for them to be effective, it is sometimes necessary to take steps to see that they are uniformly enforced.

Holy Rosary Cemetery seeks to maintain the cemetery in a fashion that reflects the Church's teachings about the dignity of every human person.