St. Mary Cemetery is located at 763 Delaware Avenue in Marion, just a few minutes south of the church.

The cemetery is open from sunrise to sunset. See the map below for the layout.

To inquire about purchasing a cemetery lot, or for other cemetery questions, please contact our Parish Business Manager.

The rules and regulations for cemetery visits are listed below.

Parking

Parking inside the cemetery is STRICTLY reserved for funeral home vehicles, those attending funeral services, and those visiting their loved ones. All other persons are strictly prohibited from parking within the cemetery. (Walkers, Gamers, Sledders, Readers, Picnickers, Nappers, Car Washer/Dryers)

When going to visit your loved one, Do Not Leave Your Car Unlocked!! There have been multiple items (Purses, Keys, Phones) that have been stolen.

Conduct in the Cemetery

Catholic cemeteries are holy places. These sacred grounds are blessed by the Church and dedicated as a place of prayer and dignity for our faithful departed. Please maintain a quiet reverence and respect for the other people visiting the resting sites of loved ones. Please abide by the following:

- Proper attire; No lawn games; No alcoholic beverages; Proper behavior at all times; No grills; No unlicensed vehicles; No picnics; No loud music; No skateboarding.

- Dogs or other pets must be on a leash, tethered to person at all times. NO ELECTRONIC REMOTE LEASHES PERMITTED. Pet walkers are responsible for cleaning up after their pets. Please do not allow your pet into the sections.

- Throwing of rubbish on roads, driveways, paths, walks, or any part of the grounds of any cemetery is prohibited. Receptacles for waste materials are located at convenient intervals.

- No peddling or soliciting of any commodity whatsoever with any within any cemetery by anyone other than the cemetery authorities.

- No signs, notices, or advertising is permitted within the cemetery except those placed by the cemetery authorities.

Decorating

"OUR CEMETERY EXISTS BECAUSE EVERY LIFE IS WORTH LOVING AND REMEMBERING... ALWAYS"

Our philosophy is as simple as this statement. Accordingly, we know that every surviving family will not only desire, but also need, to visit and decorate the grave site of a loved one.

Since it is one of our primary values to respond to the needs of our families, unlike many other large cemeteries, we permit grave decorations. However, it is our responsibility to maintain the cemetery in a dignified and orderly manner so as to benefit the collective good of our families.

What is appealing to one family may be unappealing to another. Furthermore, in order for management to properly maintain over 60 acres of grounds, there must be rules. Therefore, we ask that you review the decoration policies and become familiar with them. If there are any questions, please feel free to contact the Cemetery Office.

Please consult the Cemetery Office as to the approved decorations regarding crypts, cremations and grave sites.

Unauthorized decorations on cemetery grounds will result in the prompt removal and disposal of item.

1. NO ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS PERMITTED unless in cemetery approved, permanently attached vases or in saddles on top of raised marker/monuments. Vase and saddle artificial flowers may remain all year long. Unsightly flowers will be removed.

- No other item(s) is permitted to be placed in vases or saddles.

- Saddles are not permitted to be tied down.

2. Only Annual Flowers (flowers which die off each year) are permitted April through September.

3. Planting flowers is at your own risk.

- We do not intend to mow/trim down your flowers, however mishaps do happen. We apologize should this take place.

- There is an abundance of wildlife (deer, rabbits, fox, raccoons, groundhogs and coyotes) that may/do eat the flowers.

4. You may either plant in the ground or have potted plants.

- The cemetery highly recommends planters in lieu of flower beds.

- Please build up your flower bed, this makes trimming around the flowers much easier.

- Should flowers (planted or potted) become unsightly, they will be removed.

5. Only plant on ONE SIDE of a above ground marker/monument. If you own a monument lot and have also purchased the lots directly behind your monument, you may plant flowers on the backside of the monument only if burials have taken place.

6. Flower bed can only be the length of the marker/monument, and come out 18 inches from the marker/monument.

7. Do not plant, mulch or place any items on the sides of marker/monument.

8. Mulch is only permitted in the flower bed and must be wood mulch. Rubber mulch cannot be used.

9. Main grass level markers are only permitted to have potted flowers on ONE SIDE of the marker. No in-ground planting is permitted.

10. When a government marker at the foot of a grave or grass marker for on-top burials is placed, no potted or in-ground planting is permitted. Only flowers at the main marker/monument will be permitted.

11. During the month of October, all planted flowers and pots must be removed due to annual cleanup.

12. Only items permitted from Nov 1st through February 15th are Christmas wreath or Christmas cross (Artificial or Fresh) wired to a tri-pod easel no taller than 36” (3 feet). Only two (2) Christmas wreaths or Christmas crosses are permitted per lot. Christmas Planter (Artificial or Fresh) may also be placed.

13. No in-ground planting is permitted on a lot until a memorial has been placed. However, potted plants may be placed.

14. Fresh cut flowers (unwrapped) are permitted to be laid on a grave.

15. Only potted plants are permitted at crypt and niche buildings.

16. Any item with a point, stick, rod, string, wire or hook is not permitted to be pushed into the ground. The exception to this rule is a wreath/floral stand.

17. No item is permitted to be taped, affixed, glued, wired, adhered, hung or draped/wrapped around a marker/monument, crypt and niche doors, cremation boulder surface and lids, trees or bushes.

18. Only one military flag/flag holder is permitted per veteran. Flag holder must be placed as close to the main marker/monument as possible. The only time a flag holder is permitted at a government marker is when the government marker is being used as the main marker, not as a foot marker.

Reasoning behind our rules:

1. Planting of Perennials is not permitted due to the fact they spread.

2. In the month of October, cemetery personnel are actively mulching leaves.

3. We have limited our decoration policy because of the overabundance of items left on lots. And also due to the fact:

- There is a danger to persons and property when items are left on a grave.

- Artificial flowers and some other items often contain metals which can cause damage to equipment and if caught by the lawn cutting equipment can cause injury.

- Items pushed into to ground have a tendency to blow all over the cemetery.

- One might know, but markers/monuments are not permanently attached to the foundation. Reason being, there are times the cemetery personnel must move marker(s)/monument(s) to obtain enough area to dig a grave.

- When items are placed in the winter months, these items freeze in the ground and we cannot remove without damaging the items.

- Items placed in winter may become covered with snow and cause a hazard to cemetery personnel and visitors.

- Grave blankets and grave pillows are not permitted because they interfere with the ability to dig graves, they kill the grass, and they become a shelter for rodents.

- Most do not come back to pick up their items. It takes days for cemetery personnel to pick all these items up.

4. Markers/Monuments, Crypts, Niches and Boulders, Benches are constructed of granite and can be damaged by adhesives and wire used to attach decorations. Damage from such adhesives may include discoloration or may even cause the granite to become brittle. Wire will scratch the surface of the granite and will need to be re-polished. (Repair will be assessed to the Owner or their surviving heirs who have scratch their door on a crypt or niche building).

Unauthorized Decorations

All items such as, but not limited to:

Statuary figures, candles, crosses, pictures, wind chimes, solar/battery item of any kind, glass/china/metal containers, shepherd’s hook, stepping stones, toys/stuffed animals, clothes, drug paraphernalia, decorative flags, balloons, decorative rocks, grave blankets/pillows, garland, bottles/cans, coins, cigarettes, pumpkins/gourds, landscape material, dolls, any item used to establish a border, food, Easter eggs, whirly gigs, scarecrows, hay bales, books.

These policies enable our staff to effectively maintain the cemetery grounds and ensure the safety of our visitors. Thank you for helping to keep your cemetery beautiful!

Due to varying outdoor conditions, inclement weather conditions and the ongoing maintenance requirements of the cemetery, St. Mary Cemetery is not responsible for any decorations or personal effects left on any part of the cemetery, including any place of interment.

Monument Design Policy

All monument designs and inscriptions must be submitted in detail for approval by the pastor of St. Mary. Only Christian religious imagery and iconography are allowed on monuments and grave markers.