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WHY CHOOSE A CATHOLIC CEMETERY?
* Committed to serving the Catholic faithful
* Respects the burial of the dead as a corporal work of mercy
* Extension of your church community
* Recognized by the Code of Canon Law of the Church as a sacred burial place
DIOCESE OF GARY: Click here to visit the Diocese of Gary website SPRING FLOWER DECORATION PROGRAM: Click here to learn about our Spring Flower Decoration Program.
     
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The Church & Cremation:

Since 1963, cremation has been an acceptable option for those of the Catholic faith. Whenever possible, however, the church always prefers the interment or entombment of the body because it gives fuller expression to our Christian faith.

When cremation is chosen, the Church’s preferred sequence for the final rites is for cremation to take place after the Funeral Mass, although a Mass may oftentimes be offered with cremated remains present. Whether cremation takes place before or after the funeral rites, the church expects these families to seek an appropriate final resting place for the cremated remains of the body. The scattering of the cremated remains or keeping the cremated remains in a home are not the reverent disposition that the church requires.

The Gary Diocesan Cemeteries offer the following options for those choosing cremation:

Niches - an above ground burial crypt, sized for an urn containing the cremated remains of the body and allowing for identification and remembrance.

Graves – in ground burials that allow for a grave marker to be placed identifying and remembering the deceased.

For more information on cremation services, please call us at 219-844-9475.

 

Gary Diocesan Cemeteries: Vision Statement

The reverent Tradition of Catholic Cemeteries shall be extended to all areas of the Diocese of Gary. These cemeteries will be considered by all as a vital part of the Catholic Faith as sacred places of Peace.

 

Gary Diocesan Cemeteries: Mission Statement

The Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gary has entrusted to the Board of Directors of the Gary Diocesan Cemeteries and its employees the care of its cemeteries in Hammond, Michigan City and Merrillville. Our mission is to carry out the sacred religious function of the burial of the dead and the care of the final resting places of deceased Catholics. We shall be ever mindful of the sacredness of these grounds it will be our duty to perform this Corporal Work of Mercy in a compassionate and caring manner. We recognize that these Catholic cemeteries are an extension of the parish in that they provide a place of liturgical celebration and give witness that the Community of Faith is unbroken by death. We proclaim through our words, work, and example the sacredness of the human body, the belief in the Resurrection and the Christian virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity in the promise of eternal life.

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Saint Joseph cemetery was established by Reverend Henry Plaster, Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Hammond. The date is thought to be about August 11, 1881. St Joseph Cemetery was located at the corner of 165th street and Hohman ave. Mr. John Verhoven donated one acre of land to be used as a cemetery. In 1886 an additional three acres was added to the cemetery.

St. Stanislaus Cemetery was developed by St. Stanislaus Church as a parish cemetery. The first burial was recorded in 1898. For many years there was no general maintenance provided. The ground became very unsightly and was referred to as a “sandbur patch.”


Ss Peter and Paul Parish can trace their history back 173 years when the first Mass was celebrated in a log cabin in Turkey Creek (Merrillville) 1841. The settlement of German immigrants occasionally had a visiting priest to say Mass for them.
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MAIN OFFICE: ST. JOHN - ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CEMETERY
PHONE: (219) 844-9475 FAX: (219) 844-3770 EMAIL: MWELSH@GARYCATHCEMS.ORG

OFFICE HOURS
MONDAY - FRIDAY: 8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. SATURDAY: 8:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.