The term Opening & Closing has been associated with funerals and cemeteries for years and is spoken out of habit.
Although our Burial Service Fee does involve the physical act of opening and closing the grave, crypt or niche, it covers more than the isolated, orderly and reverent act required to place a body or cremated remains.
The Burial Service Fee sustains and maintains the entire structure of Cemetery services for our Christian Faithful — both deceased and living. It subsidizes the operation of the Cemeteries. There is a fuller listing of our operating expenses further along in this brochure. The range of expenses may be surprising to some.
Therefore, instead of emphasizing the physical act of opening & closing burial space, we prefer to emphasize the word service.
Once a deceased person is received into a Catholic cemetery, we assure reverent care and dignified treatment from that time onward. We maintain beautiful and prayerful environments to support the grieving who come to visit and pray. We provide bereavement ministry and offer grief education throughout the Archdiocese through this fee.
The Burial Service Fee is variable, set according to the type of burial required: whether full body or cremation, above-ground or in-ground. This fee must be paid in addition to the cost of the burial space. It can also be prepaid to avoid any further price increases.
