Cemetery Information

To purchase a plot at St. Mary Our Lady of Lourdes, Caldwell, please call the parish office at
979-567-3667 to schedule an appointment.

ST. MARY, OUR LADY OF LOURDES CATHOLIC CHURCH MISSION STATEMENT
                                                                                                                                                                                  
The Catholic Cemetery, as designated by the Catholic Church, is a sacred place.  The Catholic Cemetery stands as a visible reminder of, and witness to, the Christian understanding of life, death, and resurrection.  On behalf of the parishioners of St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, in Caldwell, Texas, the cemetery will be designed and maintained to be aesthetically pleasing, and professionally administered, under the guidance of our parish Priest, and an established committee.  This is in accordance with the policies and ordinances of the diocese of Austin and the State of Texas.
The following are the rules and policies for the cemetery revised beginning April, 2022.  Headstones and other monuments placed in the cemetery before this date are to be honored in their Catholic depiction.  The cemetery and maintenance shall in no way be held liable for any injuries sustained by anyone while on the cemetery grounds.  No children under 12 are allowed in cemetery without adult supervision.
Note:  People are paying for the right to be buried in our Parish Cemetery.  You are not buying the land within the cemetery.  The Cemetery is owned by the Diocese of Austin.  Any items placed in the cemetery belong to the diocese of Austin.

SECTION I    PURCHASE OF BURIAL SITES

1.  As of April 1, 2022, purchase of burial plots for Parishioners are $500.  Non-Parishioners $1200.  Parishioners who wish to buy plots for their non-Parishioner family members will have to pay the larger sum.  Vaults are not required.  Military members who still consider St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes their home church, may purchase gravesites at the Parishioner price. There are no payment plans for purchase of burial sites. The Knights of Columbus will place a marker by their 4^th degree members graves.  Other markers from duty or service will be considered at the approval of the cemetery committee.
2. Transfer of plots from a parishioner to a family member who is also a parishioner is acceptable.  If the family member is not a parishioner, the non- parish family member will have to pay the difference for the larger sum.  If a lot is no longer needed, it may be sold back, only, to the Church, for the price the purchaser paid.
3. Veterans Graves:  A marker that designates a Veterans grave may be placed at the foot of the veterans grave as long as it is flush with the ground.  The VA supplies the footstone or marker.  The funeral home can help you apply for this marker,  Small American flags are allowed to be put at the Veterans graves on appropriate holidays.  The 21 gun salute is also appropriate and allowed at the funeral.
4. Before a grave is opened, or before the placement of the headstone, it is the responsibility of the purchaser of the burial site, the funeral home, gravedigger or monument company to notify the church office and obtain the cemetery rules.  A member of the cemetery committee will also be notified to verify the cemetery regulations are being followed concerning placement and size.   A licensed and bonded company approved by the cemetery committee must be used for all curbing and monument work.
5. Following a burial, it is the responsibility of the family to replace or fix any curbing or concrete that had to be removed during the opening and closing of the gravesite.

SECTION II  HEADSTONES AND PLACEMENT

The area is marked where the headstones will be placed.  The headstones placed on top of the beam are not exceeding 48 inches in height.  The width and depth shall stay within the scored concrete beam and not overhang or encroach on other plots.    For cremation plots, headstones are not to exceed 30 inches in height including base.  They may be granite, or granite with bronze overlay.  A small cement or brass vase or flower saddle may be placed on the headstone, or beside it.   Vases will need to have  water drains.  No containers should be at the gravesite that can hold water.  Items that are not a part of the permanent monument are not allowed.  No toys, candles, (fire hazard), decorations, mementos, flower stands, plant hangers, wire, mental, wind chimes, banners, balloons, pinwheels, bird houses, bird baths, fountains, bottles, glass or other breakable containers.  No Styrofoam, paper, ribbons, battery or solar operated lights, concrete statues, and tree decorations, nor can these items be part of the flower arrangement.  Any loose items will be removed and discarded.  Any item in dispute will be taken up by the cemetery committee.

1. In the old cemetery, all new graves will also follow the above regulations.  The headstones will be placed on a concrete base.  Regulation amendments may occur periodically; therefore, monument placement and size is bound by the regulations in force at the time of burial. 
2. Artificial and live flowers are permitted in the vase or monument saddle mentioned above.  The cemetery committee or it’s representee shall have the right to remove them when they become unsightly, not properly secured, or an obstruction to maintenance.  In lieu of having a vase or saddle on the headstone, arrangements may be made with the Church to have flowers placed on the altar at certain Holidays.   ( ie:   Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, Anniversaries---this is sometimes nice for those who are unable to attend the gravesites.)
3. All monuments and inscriptions are subject to approval by the cemetery committee.  All markers should be Catholic and Christian in nature.
4. Before any activity or action is to take place in the Cemetery regarding burials, monuments, repairs, the Cemetery committee is to be notified. 
5. No entrenchments, curbing, or fences are allowed around gravesite spaces or lots in the new cemetery.
6. A small marker will be placed at the time of burial to identify who is buried at the site that is supplied by the funeral home.  A permanent headstone needs to be placed by the family within one year of burial.
7. The cemetery committee, maintenance, or a representative of either, shall have the right to remove anything and everything that has become broken or an obstruction to maintenance that has been erected or placed on cemetery property.  Any items that do not conform to the above rules will be removed.

SECTION III   PERPETUAL CARE

1.  Cemetery Perpetual Care does not include purchase, erection, repair, or replacement of monuments, headstones, markers, vases, statues, or any other item on cemetery property.  The Cemetery Committee or St. Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, nor the Diocese of Austin, or maintenance, are responsible for any vandalism, theft, or breakage on Cemetery grounds.
2. A special collection to help with rising costs will be taken up yearly after Mass.
3. No flowers or bushes are to be planted at the gravesite.  Excessive decorations will be removed.  Items that do not conform to the rules will be removed and discarded.  The cemetery committee, St. Mary’s, the Diocese of Austin, nor maintenance are responsible for loss of, or damage to, any item placed on the plot.
4. No driving or riding on lawns or walkways.  No dogs, unless leashed, will be allowed on cemetery grounds.  Any animal leavings will be picked up by the person bringing in the animal.
5. No children under 12 are allowed in the cemetery without adult supervision.
6.  Not allowed in cemetery:

                                 No Alcoholic beverages
                                 No ball playing
                                 No roller skating
                                 No bicycling
                                 No skateboarding
                                 No mini-bikes
                                 No go carts
                                 No eating in cemetery or leaving food or beverages on graves.

NOTE:  Flowers are of course permitted all year round in the vases or monument saddles.  This  includes both real, and artificial flowers. As artificial flowers fade, or flowers die, they will be removed.  There will be cleaning of the Cemetery quarterly. People wanting to save any decorations will please remove them.  The Church bulletin will notify the parish when the cleanings will take place.  All are welcome to help.

SECTION IV  CREMATIONS:  The Catholic Church raises no doctrinal objections to cremation.  Cremations of the deceased body does not affect his or her soul, nor does it prevent God, in His omnipotence, from raising up the deceased body to new life.

1.  The ashes of the faithful must be laid to rest in a sacred place.  For example, a blessed cemetery gravesite.
2. It is not permitted to scatter ashes of the faithful departed in any manner.  They cannot be preserved in mementos, jewelry, or other objects.
3. The conservation of the ashes of the faithful departed in a domestic residence is not permitted.  There may be some rare exceptional cases due to cultural conditions.  This will be addressed by the Parish Priest.
4. If the deceased has requested cremation and the scattering of their ashes for reasons contrary to our Christian faith, a Christian funeral must be denied to that person.
5. All cremains will be buried in the new cremation section unless plots were previously purchased prior to January 18, 2024.
6. Cremation plot prices will be $350 per plot and $500 for married couples wanting to be placed in the same plot.  First inurnment will be placed at the beam, with the second inurnment to be placed near the foot of the plot.
7. Family members are not allowed to dig the gravesite for the cremation burial.  Only a licensed funeral home will be responsible for the cremains from death until burial and will provide for the opening and closing of the gravesite.

If any concerns or questions arise, it will be brought before the committee to discuss and make a final decision on how to proceed.   

Committee Members