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As a part of our continuing effort to assist those families who have recently experienced the loss of a loved one, The Catholic Cemeteries Association provides Family Service throughout all of the diocesan cemetery locations. Through this personal approach, we can clearly focus on each family’s individual needs and desires prior to the interment or entombment of their loved one.
The information found inside this brochure will explain the many aspects of Family Service, and address the questions most frequently asked of our representatives.
What is Family Service?
Family Service is designed to ensure that all burial-related arrangements made by the family at the cemetery are delivered exactly as they expect. It is an opportunity for both the family and The Catholic Cemeteries Association to exchange important information about the impending burial of a loved one. This exchange of information is accomplished through a brief arrangement conference with a family service representative, preferably held at the cemetery prior to the day of the funeral.
Who are Family Service Representatives?
Family Service Representatives are persons specifically trained to assist the family who has just lost a loved one. Their primary purpose is to ensure that the Catholic family receives all of the information to which they are entitled, including their options at the Catholic cemetery at the time of a death, and to guarantee that the family receives the highest level of customer service before, during and after the burial.
Why is it necessary to come to the cemetery for an arrangement conference at the time of a death in your family?
At the time of a death in your family, your funeral director will want to meet with you to discuss every detail of the arrangements at the funeral home to ensure that you are completely satisfied with the services. This is important, even though the remains of your loved one will be at the funeral home only a day or two.
Because a diocesan cemetery will be the final resting place of your loved one’s remains until Christ returns on the Last Day, your family will have a much longer relationship with the cemetery — one that can extend over many generations. It is very important that we have the same opportunity as the funeral director to meet with you. While your funeral director is professionally trained and experienced at communicating information to you regarding the services at the funeral home, he or she does not represent the cemetery and should not be expected to speak on our behalf.
At the time of a death of a loved one, a family has many questions about what to expect at the cemetery. Many times they have questions about the exact location of the grave or crypt. Even if their loved one pre-planned his or her burial arrangements in advance, it is not unusual for survivors to be unaware of the specific arrangements that have been made. Our Family Service Representatives will review with you all information related to the pending burial to ensure it meets with your approval.
What will occur at the arrangement conference?
During your arrangement conference, our family service representative will present important information that you will need following the burial, request that you sign the interment order authorizing the cemetery to open the grave or crypt, discuss payment options available to you and ask you to verify the exact location of the burial space.
This is the final opportunity for you to change arrangements before the final interment or entombment takes place. Once the final disposition has taken place, it can be emotionally traumatic and quite expensive to make a change.
For these reasons, we believe this arrangement conference between you and the cemetery is extremely important to avoid any misunderstandings on the day of the funeral.
Who should attend the arrangement conference?
When the death of a family member occurs, emotional factors may alter your normal ability to make informed decisions. For that reason, we recommend a relative or close friend accompany you to our cemetery office for the arrangement conference.
Can the burial arrangements be changed?
In the past, many families may have made their burial decisions based on limited options. Today, however, The Catholic Cemeteries Association has a full-service program for above-ground and in-ground burial at all of our diocesan cemetery facilities. This allows families to choose from a wide selection of both above-ground and in-ground burial arrangements. The options available today are quite different from those available only 5 or 10 years ago. Catholic families frequently ask about changing theft fonner arrangements, or selecting an entirely different type of burial at the time of a death. During the arrangement conference your family service representative will discuss all of the options available to you.
We recognize that the time of death can be a very difficult time for any family. We know that unfamiliarity with the funeral and burial process can compound the worry. The Catholic Cemeteries Association is committed to easing the burden at the time of need as much as possible.
Simple and direct communication between the cemetery and the family at the time of a death is critical. For over 50 years The Catholic Cemeteries Association has been helping Catholic families face this difficult time with faith and confidence in Christ’s promise of everlasting life.
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