Your Catholic Cemeteries are a visible witness to the core Christian belief — the Resurrection of Christ will bestow new and unending life on his disciples, mortality leading to immortality. Thus, every Catholic cemetery, as a sacred burial ground for believers, is a visible sign of an invisible reality…a source of grace…a gift of hope.
These Cemeteries should be genuine and beautiful, inviting and inspiring as places of faith and memory. They also must be practical and functional as providers of products and services.
Because Christ took a human body, died and was buried, we are oblige ourselves to make and keep these Cemeteries as places of promise and hope.
Tension
Because our Cemeteries are in the world, yet point to another place, there is a natural tension between continuing the mission of Christ and continuing the operation of the Cemeteries: a tension between ministry and money. This is nothing new, nor is it peculiar to the Church. Everyone who follows Christ must deal with and somehow resolve this constant dilemma. How do we serve God and not just serve material creation by striving for money and possessions?
So, Cemetery pricing for products and services cannot imperil the lasting spiritual presence of the Cemeteries nor overburden the faithful who come seeking a place of final rest — we preserve a delicate balance.
Sources of Income 1. Burial Space: Graves, Crypts and Niches
Sale of burial space comprises the major source of revenue for the Catholic Cemeteries. This revenue enables the further expansion and development of land and building projects.
2. Various Cemetery Service Fees
Fees for burial services, inscription services, memorial foundations for markers and monuments are the second major source of Cemetery revenue. This income pays the operating overhead of the Cemeteries. With these fees we are able to fund the personnel, the physical plant, equipment, supplies and materials for the services and products we offer.
3. Memorialization of Burial Places
Other money comes from the sale of grave memorials and other memorialization, such as: emblems, crosses, vases, silk floral arrangements, wreaths and flowers. This money supports the continuing expansion of the beautiful and spiritual artwork and other features within our Cemeteries.
All of our fees keep the Cemeteries solvent so we can receive the deceased whenever our services are called for. Also, our fees provide supportive ministries and services for the living.
So, your investment with the Archdiocese preserves and perpetuates, operates and maintains eight Cemeteries and seven mausoleums in four metropolitan counties in southeastern Wisconsin. These Cemeteries comprise about 1,000 acres, over 60,000 crypts and niches, 3,300 burials annually while employing about 50 permanent staff and adding 70 more workers seasonally.
