Graves may be purchased by members of St. Joseph, Maumee, who have been parishioners for a minimum of nine months. In the event of the death of the registered parishioner before reaching the nine-month requirement, the parishioner’s heir may purchase a grave for the parishioner and his/her spouse. Parishioners may purchase graves for themselves, their spouses, parents, and unmarried children. The payment policy is a minimum of 25% down payment at the time of purchase, with the balance to be paid within six months after the initial down payment. All at-need grave purchases must be paid in full. For the perpetual care of St. Joseph Cemetery, a portion of the purchase price will be deposited to the cemetery endowment fund.

Graves will be sold by the pastor’s designee in the Parish Office. Purchasers of graves shall receive a certificate/deed entitling them to the right of burial of the dead in said graves, subject to the rules and regulations of St. Joseph Cemetery, the discipline of the Roman Catholic Church, and the laws of the Diocese of Toledo now in force or that may hereafter be adopted, with regard to funerals and burials/interments.

Grave owners may only sell unused gravesites back to St. Joseph Parish for a refund of the original purchase price.

Grave opening and closing fees are subject to periodic review, and may be adjusted to meet costs at the time of service. They must be paid in full before burial/interment.

GRAVE SPECIFICATIONS

A maximum of two burials per grave site are permitted: one full burial with an infant or cremains; or two cremains or two infants; or one cremains and one infant. NOTE: A full burial may not occur after a burial of cremains or an infant. Cremains must be in an approved urn vault or a synthetic marble urn.

It shall not be permitted to inter in a grave anyone who is not a near relative of the grave owner or to assign or transfer the right to use the grave without the consent of the pastor or his designee. If the heirs of the grave owner cannot be located with due diligence, the grave reverts back to St. Joseph Parish.

All grave markers and monuments shall have a cross. In addition, the monument must be preapproved by the sexton of St. Joseph Cemetery. Monument markers shall not exceed 48 inches in height at ground level (inclusive of base and foundation). Failure to comply with measurement restrictions will be corrected at the owner’s expense. 

Foundation width for monuments and flush markers shall not exceed two-thirds of the width of contiguous graves owned. Grave openings shall be 8 feet X 3 ½ feet X 4 ½ feet deep. The grave will be leveled and seeded once the ground has settled.

The infant and infant cremains graves in section 6 require flush-to-the-ground markers. Infant and single cremains lot sizes will be 16 inches X 8 inches, and double cremains lot sizes will be 30 inches X 12 inches. Infants must be buried in a pre-approved casket/vault.

Foundations shall have a minimum depth of 30 inches except for any portion of the foundation that extends over the vault. The foundation shall extend 1 to 2 inches beyond the outside edge of the marker or monument and shall be ground level. Wood or metal forms shall be used to meet the above specifications, and foundations shall be made of solid concrete with no foreign materials added. Arrangements for foundations must be coordinated with the sexton of the cemetery. Foundations may not be poured within six months of a burial. Foundations must be installed by an approved vendor or contractor.

Concrete burial vaults must be used, except for the burials of infants. Infants must be buried in a preapproved casket/vault combination. The burial of cremated remains must be in an urn vault or synthetic marble urn.

Monuments and markers are owned by and the responsibility of the family. Over time monuments and markers can shift and settle. It is the responsibility of the family to ensure that the monument and/or marker is safe. If the sexton or the board deems that the monument/marker is unsafe, the sexton will do what is necessary for the safety of all visitors. The family will be responsible for all charges in maintaining the safety of the monument/marker.

COLUMBARIUM NICHE SPECIFICATIONS

Cremains must be in a secured, enclosed, non-paper/non-cardboard container. A maximum of two cremains per columbarium niche are permitted. The total inside measurement of the columbarium niche is 12 inches high x 12 inches wide x 13 inches deep. Companion urns are permitted, but there will be no co-mingling of cremains within one urn.

It shall not be permitted to inter in a niche anyone who is not a near relative of the niche owner or to assign or transfer the right to use the niche without the consent of the pastor or his designee. If the heirs of the niche owner cannot be located with due diligence, the niche reverts back to St. Joseph Parish.

Inscriptions on columbarium niches are limited to two individuals with first name, last name and middle initial, date of birth, and date of death. The font size, type, and presentation are prescribed by the parish except for a U.S. government-provided veteran niche marker in the 8 ½ x 5 ½ size, which can be placed over the niche cover in lieu of inscription.

COLUMBARIUM NICHE DECORATIONS

No decorations are permitted on columbarium niche fronts, and if material costs are involved, they will be removed at the owner’s expense. Examples include, but are not limited to, pictures, stickers, engravings, wreaths, or hooks. Taping or sticking anything on or between columbarium niche fronts is similarly prohibited.

St. Joseph Cemetery and/or St. Joseph Parish is not responsible for any damage to monuments, columbarium, decorations, etc., caused by regular maintenance, weather, and/or acts of vandalism.