"...He whom we love is not hidden in the ground; he is received into heaven. Let us wait a little while, and we shall be once more with him. The time of our separation is not long, for in this life we are all like travelers on a journey, hastening on to the same shelter.  While one has reached his rest another arrives, another hurries on but one and the same end awaits them all.” 
- St. Basil the Great

The Creed of Catholic Cemeteries

• We acknowledge that the Catholic cemetery is established to carry out the sacred religious function of the burial and care for the resting places of the deceased.
• We accept the responsibility of implementing this religious function under the direction and supervision of the local Church authority.
• We believe in and are firmly committed to the teachings and rich tradition of the Catholic Church with regard to the deceased and the sacredness of the cemeteries in which their bodies rest.
• We recognize the deep religious significance of the Corporal Work of Mercy involved in the burial of the dead and reverence for the deceased.
• We are dedicated to the respectful care of the people of God who even in death remain a part of the whole Christian community.
• We are committed to encouraging Catholic prayer and devotion for our deceased brothers and sisters, especially in our cemeteries.
• We will promote efforts to strengthen and enhance Catholic teachings that relate to death, burial, and reverence for the faithful departed.
• We will proclaim through our words, work, and example the sacredness of the human body, belief in the Resurrection, and the Christian virtue of hope.
• We will recognize all the regulations and guidelines of the National Catholic Cemetery Conference as to properly maintain our cemeteries in accord with the Conference and the Catholic Church.