It is both a duty and a corporal work of mercy to bury the dead.  The human body deserves respect as an essential part of the human person, although it does not survive death.  The body, buried or entombed is destined for resurrection when Our Lord Jesus Christ returns in glory.  The bodies of those who died in the state of sanctifying grace will rise to everlasting glory, while the bodies of those who died in the state of mortal sin will rise to everlasting horror. 

Cremation is permitted if not chosen as a means to deny the Church's teaching on the respect that must be shown to the body or to deny the resurrection of the dead.  However, cremated remains must be treated as the body and either entombed or buried.   To divide ashes or scatter them is a sinful practice.

St. Mary's Cemetery has graves available for sale to parishioners.  Call the rectory office to inquire. 

The purchase of a grave is not like the purchase of property or real estate.  The Cemetery property is still owned by the Cemetery corporation.  The deed holder to the grave receives two privileges: the right of burial and the right to purchase and place a marker or headstone subject to cemetery rules and approval.  The purchase of a grave is the purchase of burial rights which provide a license for a predetermined number of burials (of bodies or cremains) on a specifically designated parcel of cemetery land.  The license also allows a memorial marker to be erected in accordance with cemetery regulations.  The fact that one purchases burial rights and not land is clear in the fact that the holder of the deed does not pay property tax on the burial plot.  By selling burial rights rather than land you can rest assured that the burial plot will always remain part of the cemetery and not be zoned for another purpose.  This should also make it clear why the cemetery sets rules and regulations, and periodically posts reminders of these rules, to ensure maintenance of the of the cemetery can be carried out.