SAINT PHILIP NERI CHURCH PARISH CEMETERY

RULES AND REGULATIONS

INTRODUCTION

For the mutual protection and benefit of grave easement-holders, the following Rules and Regulations have been a pproved by the Pastor. All grave easement-holders and visitors within the Cemetery shall be subject to said Rules and Regulations and subject further to such other Rules and Regulations, amendments or alterations as shall be approved from time to time. Refer to the St. Philip Neri Church website for updates (www.stphilipneriempire.org)

DEFINITIONS

The terms ''lot", "plot”, or "burial place" shall be used interchangeably and shall apply with like effect to one or more adjoining graves.

"interment" means the permanent disposition of the remains of a deceased person by burial.

"inurnment" means the permanent disposition of the cremated remains of a deceased person by burial.

The term "memorial" shall include a monument or a marker. A monument is defined as an above-ground vertical construction placed at the head of the grave to identify one or more individuals. A marker is level with the ground and shall be placed at the head of the grave to identify one or more individuals.

"Cemetery Management” comprises the pastor, parish business manager, or others duly appointed (cemetery committee members) to administer the parish cemetery.

“Easement-holders” (or grave easement-holders) means individuals with prepaid perpetual care fee.

“Immediate Family” of an easement holder consists of his or her spouse, his or her parents, and his or her children, as well as their spouses.

GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

Saint Philip Neri Cemetery is owned and operated in accordance with the laws of the State of Michigan and the rules and disciplines of the Roman Catholic Church and the Diocese of Gaylord which reserves the right to refuse admission to the Cemetery and to refuse the use of any of the Cemetery's facilities at any time, to any person or persons whom the Cemetery Management may deem objectionable to the best interests of the Cemetery.

The family should contact the Parish Office for the identification and/or purchase of a cemetery plot and before burial arrangements are made with the funeral director if possible or as soon as possible after contact with the funeral director has been made. The parish office may contact a cemetery committee member to assist with the location of available cemetery plots and the Sexton’s preparation of the burial site and the recording of same.

A registered and active parishioner who supports the parish financially, has a right to a reasonable number of grave easements for immediate family, based on availability. Please note: Parish registration for the sole purpose of purchasing cemetery burial priviledges is not permitted. There are two fees, one for perpetual care, paid to St. Philip Neri, and one for opening the grave, the sexton fee. See XIV, fee schedule.

Payment of the perpetual care fee must be made in full before burial. To reserve a grave easement, payment in full or a deposit of 1/2 of the cost for each grave easement should be paid to St. Philip Neri, with the balance due with in six months.

The Cemetery is intended for the burial of St. Philip Neri Parishioners and members of their immediate families who are entitled to Christian burial according to the rules and disciplines of the Roman Catholic Church. Any question of the burial of a non-Catholic member of a lot holder's family, or of any person not entitled to Christian burial, shall be decided by the Pastor.

Religious ceremonies other than those of the Roman Catholic Church are not permitted in the Cemetery unless the consent of the Pastor has been obtained.

LOTS

No grave easement shall be used for any other purpose than for the burial of the human remains.

Cemetery Management disclaims all responsibility for loss or damage from causes beyond its reasonable control including but not limited to damage caused by an indepedent contractor, the elements, an act of God, common enemy, thieves, vandals, strikers, explosions, insurrections, or order of any military or civil authority, whether the damage be direct or collateral, other than as herein provided.

Grave easement-holders are granted only the right to interment or inurnment in their graves. Cemetery Management reserves the right to refuse to permit the interment or inurnment of anyone who was not, at the time of the death, the holder of the grave easement or a relative by blood or marriage.

CORRECTION OF ERRORS

Cemetery Management reserves and shall have the right to correct any errors that may be made by it either in making interments or inurnments, dis-interments or removals, or in the description, transfer, or conveyance of any interment or inurnment property.

PERPETUAL CARE OF GRAVES

The general care assumed by the Cemetery Management shall in no case mean maintenance, repair or replacement of any memorial, flowers, other objects placed upon a grave.

BURIALS

No more burials are permitted in the Tobin cemetery due to the fact that there are numerous graves unmarked, and it is a historical site. Burials in the 'old section' of St. Philip Neri's: Row 1(8-13), row 2(14-19) row 3(39-34), row 4(40- 45), row 5(65-60), row 6(66-71) are subject to review prior to burial. This section is closed to new easements.

Burials will take place from May 1 through October 31, weather permitting, as determined by Cemetery Management, in concert with the Sexton.

A burial permit must be presented to cemetery management prior to burial.

Once a casket containing a body is within the confines of the Cemetery, no funeral director nor embalmer, assistant, employee or agent shall be permitted to open the casket, or to touch the body without consent of the next of kin or of the legal representative of the deceased, or of an order signed by a court of competent jurisdiction.

No interment of two or more bodies shall be made in one grave except in the case of a parent and infant or two infants buried in one casket Special care must be taken to properly mark the grave with the individual names when two bodies such as a parent and infant or two infants are interred in the same grave.

“Green burials” are not allowed in St. Philip Neri Cemetery. Here, “green burial” refers to interment of a deceased person’s body without the use of embalming chemicals and with use of organic or biodegradable containers instead of the traditional concrete vault. Green burials are not allowed in Michigan absent a State-issued permit, which the Cemetery has not been granted. Hence, no interment of a body is permitted unless the remains are contained in a casket and a vault.

INURNMENTS

The inurnment or burial of a sealed non bio-degradable container [urn] of cremated remains does not require the use of a vault. Unsealed non bio- degradable urns and bio-degradable containers (urn) of cremated remains require the use of an outer container [vault /liner].

The person bringing the cremated remains to the cemetery must have already provided a Certificate of Cremation to the cemetery management prior to the inurnment.

Once a container of cremated human remains is within the confines of the Cemetery the container shall not be opened without the consent of the next of kin or of the legal representative of the deceased, or of an order signed by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Inurnment of the cremated remains of one person into a standard plot where a body has been buried, or of two sets of non-comingled cremated remains in one standard plot, is permitted with proper notification and the payment of appropriate inurnment rights. When this occurs, special care must also be taken to properly mark the graves with the individual names (size is critical).

The Catholic Church does not allow for the comingling of remains, they must remain separate. If family was unaware of this rule, and remains have been comingled, burial may take place in one standard plot.

CEMETERY DECORATIONS

Safety and moderation are the two principles that govern the adornment of grave spaces. The planting of trees, shrubs and perennials is not allowed. No statues, wire racks, solar lights, chimes, etc. The only permitted Cemetery decoration on the grave site is annual flowers in approved ground containers from May 1 to October 31; a wreath or artificial flowers from November 1 to April 30, and an American Flag, in honor of our Veterans. No artificial flowers from May 1 to October 31. Present statues must be maintained in good repair.

Cemetery Management always has the right to remove any or all decorations when deemed necessary.

Each monument/memorial marker may have either a shepherd hook or a planter/flower pot. A flower pot or planter, not to exceed 12 inches in height and 12 inches at its widest width, must be placed directly in front (west face) of the monument/memorial marker, or may be located to either the right or left of the monument/ memorial marker as grave site space allows. Shepherd hooks may only be utilized to support a single hanging basket, whose pot height may not exceed 8 inches and 12 inches wide at its top, and the top of the shepherd hook arch may not exceed 36 inches in height, measured from the ground. All shepherd hooks must be placed either to the immediate right or left and in line with the monument/memorial marker. Only one shepherd hook is allowed per monument/memorial marker. Alternatively, within sections 1 through 120 ONLY, each monument/memorial marker may have a permanent concrete planter/flower pot which may not exceed 18 inches in height and 18 inches in width and must be placed on a solid concrete foundation, flush to the ground, not less in width and length than the base of the base of the permanent planter/flower pot, abutting directly to the center of the foundation of the monument/ memorial marker. This permanent planter/ flower pot must be located on the back (east face) of the monument/ memorial marker.

All planters and flower pots, whether on the ground or hanging from a shepherd hook, which are broken or otherwise not maintained, will be removed and discarded. All flower planters/pots and shepherd hooks must be removed by October 31st. Permanent concrete planter/Flower pots are not required to be removed, however, all plants must be removed by October 31st. All permanent concrete planters/flower pots are required to be in good repair as determined by the cemetery management, and those in disrepair or not used by June 15th of each year shall be tagged and removed. If not claimed by the owner within six (6) months, the containers shall be considered abandoned and may be disposed of by the cemetery management.

MEMORIALS

Easement holders shall erect either a marker or a monument on their grave easement, subject to the terms and conditions contained herein. Proper memorial work on their respective lots is subject to the approval of Cemetery Management.

Memorials may be placed only in the designated areas. All memorials shall be constructed of natural stone. No artificial stone of any kind is permitted. Should it be necessary to move a memorial by Cemetery Management, the cost is the responsibility of the family or responsible party.

No coping, curbing, fencing, hedging, borders or enclosures of any kind shall be allowed around any grave[s] and no walks of brick, cinder, tile, terra cotta, sand, cement, gravel or wood shall be allowed on any grave[s]. Cemetery Management, at the cost of the family or responsible party, reserves the right to remove the same if so erected, planted or placed.

The most suitable ornament on a memorial in a Catholic cemetery is the cross. Epitaphs and symbols on memorials should be in the spirit of the Catholic Christian Church. Hence no memorial work of any kind will be allowed unless there is represented or engraved, a cross or other Christian symbol in keeping with the design and size of the memorial, except that, when a monument bears such a symbol, it may be omitted from corresponding markers if desired. Pre-approval of the marker, with design and/or graphics, must be submitted to Cemetery Management. Should prior approval not be obtained and a marker/memorial be deemed nonconforming to the requirements contained herein, the family will be responsible for the cost of removal or correction.

Workmen employed in placing and erecting memorial and other structures or materials shall operate as independent contractors, but must do so under the permission of the Cemetery Management.

The right of the pastor to refuse to permit such work, unless the ground is settled and in good condition is reserved. No memorial may be delivered or installed between November 1st and April 30th1without the expressed permission of the Cemetery Management.

Cemetery Management reserves the right to stop all work of any nature, whenever, in its opinion:

• Proper preparations have not been made;

• Tools or machinery are insufficient or defective;

• Work is being executed in such a manner as to threaten life or property;

• The monument dealer has been guilty of misrepresentation;

• Any directive of the Cemetery Managment is disregarded;

• Work is not being executed according to specifications; or

• Any person employed on the work violates any rule of the Cemetery.

Crosses, statues or other grave markers of wood, iron, cement or any like material are strictly prohibited, except the standard bronze insignia provided for the graves of veterans.

Federal government regulations concerning the use of the veteran marker will be strictly enforced. The Flag Protocol of the federal government will also be observed in the Cemetery.

When any memorial work has been set in place, it shall not be removed without due process of law or written permission of Cemetery Management.

MEMORIAL MARKERS: Memorial markers are required, including the cremation area.

· Memorial markers are required and shall be flush to the ground for plots 121 and greater and in the cremation area.

· No homemade markers are permitted.

· Markers must be in place within 6 months of burial

· At each grave one single-wide marker is permitted or on two adjacent graves a double-wide marker is permitted. Single-wide markers shall be 24" long, 12" wide, and not less than 4" in thickness. Double-wide markers shall be 48" inches long, 12" wide, and not less than 6" in thickness. The marker may not encroach on any other lot-holder's grave spaces. The marker shall be readable from the head of the grave while facing east.

MEMORIAL MONUMENTS: Either Memorial Monuments or Memorial Markers are allowed on lots numbered 1 through 120, and shall be readable from the head of the grave while facing east.

· At least two [2] side-by-side adjoining graves are necessary for the erection of a large monument, overall dimensions including base are 24" to 48" long; 8" to 12" wide; and 13" to 36" high. Only one central or family monument shall be allowed on a two-grave or three-grave combination which permits the construction of a monument.

· Small monument dimensions including base are: 24" to 42" long; 8" to 12" wide; and up to 16" high, may be erected on a single gravesite, with the name(s) of person(s) buried in the plot.

· The monument, with optional base, or and above-ground marker, shall rest upon a concrete foundation whose surface is flush to the ground. A marker may be placed flush to the ground in lots 1 through 120, provided the thickness is equal to the thickness requirements stated in X, memorial markers. The foundation shall extend beyond the perimeter of the base of the monument with optional base or the marker by 2” on all four sides, for a total of 4 inches beyond the perimeter of the base, and shall be 4 inches in thickness. The foundation may not extend into the grave of any other lot-holder.

The monument should always reflect the names of the deceased as they are buried. If the man is buried in the right side grave next to the wife, (Plot C and D below), the husband’s name is on the left of the monument and the wife’s name is on the right of the monument.

HOSPITALITY

If requested, the St. Philip's Neri Funeral Committee may, with the pastor’s approval, provide a funeral luncheon for the parish family of the deceased to celebrate the life of their loved one with family and friends following the funeral mass at St. Philip Neri Church. Call the Parish Office, 231-326-5255, for details.

ST. PHILIP NERI CEMETERY FEES

Perpetual Care: (Standard Lots)

1. Parishioner............................................................................ $500.00

2. Non-Parishioner **..........................................................…… $1,000.00

Perpetual Care (Cremation Lots): Located NE Quadrant

1. Parishioner............................................................................. $300.00

2. Non-Parishioner **..............................................................…… $500.00

** Not attending St. Philip Neri, but immediate family member of parishioner.

Pricing Example:

**Parishioners (Wife/husband) along with son and wife (not members of the parish) Computed as (2 x $500) + (2 x $1,000) = $3,000.00. (standard lots)

Sexton Fees:

Sexton fees for opening a standard grave or cremation site are subject to change. The current amount of the sexton fee can be determined by the contacting the Parish Business Office at the time burial arrangements are made with the funeral home. The sexton fees may be collected by the funeral home and forwarded to the Parish business office or paid to St. Philip Neri church directly by the family prior to burial. If a monument needs to be moved for an additional burial, there will be an additional charge for labor and equipment.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Paul Brandenburg, (517)862-8007

Sally Majszak, (231)326-5013

Mimi Brunet (219)229-1173

Dennis Taghon (231)871-1631

SEXTON:

Contact the Parish Office for Sexton contact information and fees

Dates updated:

September, 11, 2018, Fr. Zeljko (p.3 burials; p.6 base; reorganize for consistency/clarity)

March 18, 2021, Fr. Stachnik (p. 7 rate increase; Sexton revision)

October 29, 2021, Fr. Stachnik (general revisions)

September 8, 2022, Fr. Stachnik (cemetery decorations)

April 11, 2024, Fr. Stachnik (general revisions, rate increase, monument sizes, sexton revision)

· Please note: Parish Registration not accepted for sole purpose of Cemetery Burial Privileges.