At one time, the Catholic Church did not approve of the practice of cremation because of its historical ties to the persecution of Christians and a rejection of the belief in the Resurrection. However, today the Church recognizes that people choose cremation for a variety of reasons that are not in conflict with the Church’s teaching on life, death and resurrection. The Church not only allows cremation, but also has developed a specific liturgy for Masses with the cremated remains present, Memorial Masses, and Committal services.
The Vatican revised Church teaching on cremation in 1963; the Code of Canon Law now states: “The Church permits cremation, provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body.” (Can 1176) (more…)
Did you make a New Year’s resolution? New Year’s is a time of planning – planning ahead for the year, planning a strategy to keep our resolutions, financial planning. Have you made a resolution to take care of your will and trust? Do you have a spot at the cemetery? Have you decided what kind of memorial service and urn you would like? Have you prepared an Advanced Health Care Directive?
Today, many people see the value of planning ahead. When a death occurs, there are numerous decisions to be made during a very emotional time. Holy Cross offers Pre-Need arrangements to assist you in making some of those decisions ahead of time. In order to make Pre-Need arrangements available to everyone in our Catholic community, (more…)
Director of Cemeteries, Monica Williams, will be the featured guest on Mosaic on Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 5:30 am. Mosaic airs on KPIX – Channel 5, the San Francisco CBS affiliate station. Discussion topics will include the 125th anniversary of Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, common questions regarding cremation and Catholic belief, and cemetery history and upcoming events.
2012 marks the 125th anniversary of Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma. What a tremendous heritage! From its beginnings in 1887 under the direction of Archbishop Riordan, through the years of traditional funerals, to the modern era with its variety of funeral options, Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery has been true to its mission to bury the dead and to comfort those who mourn. Generations of stories and memories reside here. I hope you will join us this year in celebrating these stories and memories and in honoring the mission of the cemetery. The website will have details regarding upcoming events; mark your calendars for Saturday, June 2 , the 125th Anniversary Mass!
As food has always been a comfort to families who have experienced a loss, it seems only fitting that we would create a cookbook in honor of the 125th Anniversary. We would like to include (more…)
As we move through the season of Advent – this time of waiting and hoping – we look forward to the coming of the Light of the World. Here, at the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, we, too, pray for the coming of the Eternal Light to shine upon the souls of our faithful departed. The cemeteries look hopeful at this time of year – graves and crypts decorated with poinsettias and colorful flowers. We are grateful for the thousands of visitors who come every month to remember their loved ones and participate in our monthly Masses and special events. (more…)
Holidays are times we look forward to being with family and friends. They hold many memories for us. This is a reality that hurts as we miss absent loved ones who have died. Handling the holidays is not deciding how to eliminate the pain of missing the people we love who are no longer physically present to us. It is more about letting the memories come and go, learning how to live with the hurt without being consumed by it.
In this workshop you will be able to:
acknowledge
the difficulty of this season as one who is grieving.
gain
some new tools and insights from others for working your way through the
holidays.
join
others for support, connection and prayer.
San Mateo County
St. Pius Church – Redwood City
1100 Woodside Road
650.361.1411
Tuesday – November 22, 2011 – 7:00pm – 8:30 pm
Thursday – December 15, 2011 - 7:00pm – 8:30pm
St. Robert Church – San Bruno
1380 Crystal Springs Road
650.589.2800
Saturday – November 19, 2011 – 3:00pm – 4:15pm
Saturday – December 7, 2011 – 3:00pm – 4:15pm
Saturday – December 17, 2011 – 3:00pm – 4:15pm
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel – Redwood City
347 Grand Sstreet
650.366.3802
Thursday – December 15, 2011 – 8:00pm – 8:00pm – With Candle Lighting Ceremony
We continue to remember all those interred in the Catholic Cemeteries in a very special way during this month of All Souls. If you haven’t already had a chance to visit the cemetery and spend some time in prayer and memories, please make time during this month . . . our grounds are open from 8am until sunset.
Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday on our calendar: a day to enjoy good food and company, and to be mindful of the blessings in our lives. We at the Catholic Cemeteries are grateful to have the opportunity to work in such a meaningful ministry! (more…)
A Special Invitation…We invite you and your family to attend a special Christmas Remembrance Service in memory of those who have died and in prayerful support for those who grieve on Saturday, December 10, 2011 – 11am – All Saints Mausoleum Chapel. Msgr. John Talesfore, Officiating. During this service, the names of those you wish to remember and your messages of love may be written on ornaments made by local schoolchildren. These ornaments will be placed on Christmas Trees in All Saints Mausoleum during the service and will remain until January 7th. Additional ornaments are available at our office through December 31st.
