The Catholic cemeteries of the Diocese of Grande Rapids are called to bury our loved ones in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church We dedicate ourselves to the sacred religious function of the burial of our dead. We are committed to prayer and devotion for our deceased brothers and sisters. We proclaim through our words, work and example, the sacredness of the human body, belief in the resurrection of the body and everlasting life. Cathoilic Burial Beliefs As people of faith our cemeteries have a special place in our beliefs, in our hears and in our minds. These grounds are sacred places, held sacred by the Catholic Church and the faithful. For a Catholic, burial in a Catholic cemetery is a final act of faith, a public witness to one's membership in a community of faith; to one's belief in the resurrection of the body and everlasting life. Death as seen through the eyes of a Catholic is not the end. It is simply a natural passageway to everlasting life. Burial in a Catholic cemetery is a statement of continued belief in that everlasting life, even death, and a statement of our all pervading respect for life. Catholic cemeteries bear silent witness to the final resurrection. They are symbols of our faith, which tells us that life, while changed, does go on; it is not ended. Catholic cemeteries are a sacred place set aside by the Church for burial of our faithful loved ones, and non-Catholic members of our families. The bodies of those buried there rest under the watchful eye of the Bishop until the last day. Those buried there share a common belief in the sacredness of the body and the Resurrection of the dead. Catholic cemeteries are on sacred and consecrated ground. For those reasons, we encourage Catholics and their families to pre-arrange for burial in a Catholic cemetery. Catholic cemeteries are committed to serving Catholics and their families in providing a sacred place for the burial and honor of loved ones.