Preamble
St. John the Evangelist Cemetery was established to provide a sacred burial ground for those of the Catholic Faith and those, who by marriage or other relationship, wish to have a place for burial in anticipation for resurrection with Christ. Ownership of a lot or grave space in this cemetery does not constitute ownership of the property, but rather gives the right to burial in said cemetery.
To ensure the sacred character of St. John the Evangelist Cemetery in accordance with the mind and traditional practice of the Church and to establish and maintain good order, the following rules and regulations are in effect.
Definitions
Management shall denote the Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, Girard, PA o r a person or committee appointed by the pastor.
Care shall denote general care and upkeep of the cemetery.
Grave shall denote a space of ground in the cemetery used or intended to be used for burial of human remains.
Plot shall include and/or be applied to one or more adjacent graves.
Section shall denote a designated area of cemetery property.
Lot Holder shall denote a person or persons who have purchased internment rights or who hold rights of inheritance or transfer previously approved by management.
Memorial shall include monuments/ headstone/grave marker for one or more deceased persons. They may be flush or above ground.
Arrangements for Funerals and Internment
Management reserves the right to request those wishing to select a plot or arrange for an internment, to give at least 48 hours notice to the management prior to an internment.
Management shall not be responsible for any arrangement which contains improper information relative to grave location or selection.
It shall be the responsibility of the funeral provider to deliver the proper permits and payment for internment/grave spaces prior to internment. Management shall in-no-way be liable for any delay in the internment of a body lacking proper permits and/or payment.
Internment Procedure
All funerals entering the cemetery shall be under the sole direction of management.
A burial permit for each funeral, as required by local government/public authority having jurisdiction over the matter, must be presented to management before internment is complete. Management shall not be liable for the accuracy of the data contained on said permit or for the identification of said person to be interred.
Caskets may not be opened at the cemetery without the expressed permission of, and in the presence of management. The management reserves the right to refuse permission to anyone without the prior consent of legal representation or court order.
An outer container of cave-proof quality is required for burial of human bodies.
Disinterment
No disinterment may be made without proper permits. In case of disinterment, management shall exercise due care and assumes no liability for damage of the outer container casket/remains.
Instructions for Plot Owners
- No tins, glass jars, boxes, artificial flowers or rose bushes are permitted.
- Planting of shrubs, rhododendrons, azaleas, or other bushes, is not permitted.
- No gravel, decorative stone or fences of any type shall be placed around headstones. (This is for safety purposes for mowing and upkeep).
- Cemetery pots shall be no larger than 12 inches in diameter.
- Holiday decorations must be removed within thirty days after the holiday. If not removed by owner, management will remove and dispose of them.
- Statues and vigil lights shall not be placed more than six inches from headstone in sections A through I.
- No cement pots or urns.
- Existing shrubs, etc., which are not cared for by the lot owners will be removed at the discretion of the management.
- Existing shrubs may not exceed 20 inches in height or 12 inches in diameter.
- Garden variety flowers may be planted in front of headstone. Where such flowers are planted no flower pots/urns may be placed on grave. Plants/pots shall not extend any further than six inches from front of headstone. This rule pertains to sections A through I.
Memorials
No memorial shall be placed in the cemetery without previous approval of management.
Monument companies shall notify cemetery management for pre-approval of memorial size and shape. A picture or drawing and wording must be approved prior to placement of the stone. No memorial shall be placed in the cemetery unless management or its designate is present.
Memorials may not exceed 44" (double), 32" (single), 52" (triple) in length by 28" high by 14" deep. (This is measured from the finished edge to finished edge) and length is determined by plots in a row.
Military memorials will have flush foundation so marker will be flush with the ground.
Forty-eight hours notice must be given to cemetery management before memorial shall be placed in the cemetery. Three weeks notification is required if foundation needs to be made. Management or designate must be present.
Foundations
Foundations for memorials will be constructed by cemetery caretaker/delegate only.
In Sections A, B, D, and E foundations cannot be placed until all graves in the plot or adjoining plots are interred.
In Section C, Sections F through I with few exceptions, the foundation can be poured before the memorial is placed in the cemetery.
There will be no refund for poured foundations when family members are moved from the Sections A through E into Sections F through I.
The price of the grave includes the cost of a foundation as of December 1, 2008.
Cremations
Over an existing grave, ashes must be in a cave-proof container (bronze, metal, hard plastic) No more than 12" in height. A flat stone (10" x 20") can be placed. No flowers around the flat stone, only at the end of the grave. Flowers around the headstone shall be placed 6" from headstone. Two cremains may be placed over an existing grave.
In a separate grave, ashes may be in an urn and a vault. Vault must be bronze, metal or hard plastic, up to 14" in height. Four cremains may be buried in a separate grave.
In General
Management reserves the right, without notice, to make exemptions, suspensions or modifications to any of these rules and regulations. These Rules and Regulations were established January 1, 1993, amended December 1, 2008, and July 2021.
Inquiries may be directed to the office at (814) 774-4108 ext 5.