VISITING THE CEMETERY
When visiting the Cemetery, please schedule your visit within posted hours. Gates will close promptly at the posted closing time.
CEMETERY GROUNDS are open 365 days a year, including holidays, during the hours listed below.
March 1st - October 15th Monday - Sunday 8:00 am - 7:00 pm
October 16th - February 28th Monday - Sunday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
INDOOR MAUSOLEUMS (at All Saints, Queen of Heaven and Resurrection Cemeteries) are open during the hours listed below.
March 1st - October 15th Monday - Sunday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
October 16th - February 28th Monday - Sunday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
OFFICE HOURS are listed below.
Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Sunday Closed
The following are not allowed on Cemetery grounds:
- Picnics, parties, or celebrations
- Alcoholic beverages
- Coolers
- Grilling
- Tents or canopies
- Lawn games
- Loud or live music
- Firearms of weapons
- Unlicensed vehicles
- Pets roaming free.
Cemetery Etiquette
RESPECT OTHER VISITORS
Cemeteries are a sacred place of prayer and reflection, many who visit are mourning the loss of a loved one. Please do NOT cause a disturbance and conduct yourself respectfully at all times.
DRIVE RESPONSIBLY
For your safety and the safety of other visitors, please remain alert on Cemetery roads. Obey the posted signs and speed limits, watch for visitors and Cemetery staff. Do NOT try to cut through a funeral procession.
Additional Cemetery Etiquette
- Dress accordingly. Please wear proper attire and be fully clothed at all times.
- Refrain from filming/photographing people and any identifying names/dates on markers and monuments. For editorial or commercial requests, please contact the Cemetery office.
- Refrain from walking over graves or leaning on headstones. This can cause damage and is seen as disrespectful.
- Refrain from letting children wander without supervision, it may disturb the peace for other visitors. If children are not being supervised, they may get hurt. Please keep them in your sight at all times.
- Keep a respectful distance away from other burial services and mourners, do not disrupt a funeral procession or service.
CEMETERY DECORATIONS
It is important to be considerate of the families around you and Cemetery staff. Placing multiple decorations or inappropriately-sized decorations not only encroaches on the space of other families near you, but can also prohibit the Cemetery grounds crew from adequately mowing the grass and can pose a risk for injury.
Please help maintain the beauty of our Cemeteries by doing the following: limit decorations to one per grave. We strongly advise bringing an appropriately-sized planter box or flower pot to put your decoration in. Please refrain from placing candles, metal objects (stands, easels, shepherd hooks), breakable items (glass, ceramic, lawn ornaments), grave coverings, or any type of landscape material or border edging around a grave (wood, metal, stone, paving materials). Flags are permitted provided they are placed in the approved containers stated above and conform to the overall height restrictions not to exceed 30 inches (including container). Flags that become tattered, faded or unsightly will be respectfully removed and properly disposed.
Please remember that Cemeteries are open to the public, we are not responsible in the event that placements are moved, stolen, or damage/loss sustained from natural occurrences.
View Full Cemetery Decorating Policies for graves & monument lots, outdoor crypts and niches, and cremation garden.
SPRING CLEAN-UP
Our Cemetery Grounds Staff will remove ALL decorations and items left out between March 15th and March 31st. If you wish to save your decorations, please remove them before March 15th.
Spring decorations may be placed starting April 1st. Please do not place ANY decorations between March 15th and March 31st.
FALL CLEAN-UP
Our Cemetery Grounds Staff will remove ALL decorations and items left out between October 15th and October 31st. If you wish to save your decorations, please remove them before October 15th.
Fall decorations may be placed starting November 1st. Please do not place ANY decorations between October 15th and October 31st.
CREMATION
Cremation may be a confusing issue for Catholics. At one time, the church prohibited cremation but this is no longer the case. In 1963, the Catholic Church lifted its prohibition forbidding Catholics to choose cremation. Canon 1176 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law states, “The Church earnestly recommends the pious custom of burying the bodies of the dead be observed, it does not however, forbid cremation unless it has been chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian teaching.”
There are a number of options available to permanently memorialize cremated remains in our Cemeteries and provide a reverent place of rest for future generations to visit. Please click here to read more about the options for memorializing cremated remains.
PURCHASES
Cemetery plans may be pre-planned and pre-paid before need. Planning in advance offers several advantages. You will be able to learn about all the different options available to you, so you can make the best-informed decision for yourself and your family. You will be able to determine exactly how much everything will cost, make your cemetery selection, and choose an interest-free payment plan that fits your budget. Enjoy peace of mind knowing that your final wishes have been planned and paid for and lessen some of the emotional decision making and stress for your loved ones at the time of need.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a free consultation with a Cemetery Advisor, please view the link below.
https://www.catholiccemeterieschicago.org/pre-planning-assistance/
CATHOLIC BURIAL
The church expects the burial of Catholics in Catholic cemeteries. To avoid breaking close family ties, non-Catholic members of Catholic families may be interred in a Catholic cemetery. In the Archdiocese, Catholic burial, including the funeral Mass, is permitted for a baptized non-Catholic who might reasonably be presumed to desire or prefer Catholic burial services. Such a decision would be appropriate where the non-Catholic party worshiped regularly at the Catholic Church or identified with the Catholic Church more than any other.
DISCLAIMER
The following questions and answers are presented as general guidelines to address policies and procedures of the Catholic Cemeteries. The Catholic Cemeteries retains the right to change or modify these policies or procedures at any time. Therefore, you should always contact the cemetery office for final resolution of any questions pertaining to the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Chicago.