POLICIES OF OWENSBORO CATHOLIC CEMETERIES Owensboro Catholic Cemeteries understands the desire of families to pay tribute to their loved ones interred in our cemeteries. The following rules and regulations have been established to preserve the beauty and aesthetics of the cemetery. In addition these policies are intended to ensure the safety of those who visit and those who maintain the cemetery. Please review carefully and address any concerns or questions to the cemetery management office staff. Our Cemeteries are private property, owned by, overseen by, and subject to the canonical authority of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Owensboro. Disposition rights may be purchased for burial in a grave (interment), a crypt (entombment), or a niche (inurnment). Ownership of the real property to which disposition rights are purchased is retained solely by the Diocese. Should you need clarification on any matter, or if you have any issues or questions not specifically addressed below, please contact the Cemetery Office. Our Diocesan Catholic Cemeteries are an extension of our church community. They are a sacred testament to our belief in the resurrection of the body: holy places for prayer and consolation. They serve our parishes in ministering corporal and spiritual works of mercy: burying our deceased Catholic brethren and their family members, comforting the sorrowful, and praying for the living and the dead with all attendant rites of the Roman Catholic Church. MEMORIALS Memorials must be either granite or bronze and are subject to cemetery specifications and requirements. All other types of materials (e.g. marble, concrete, lime stone, synthetic, etc.) are not permitted. If a memorial is purchased from a source other than the cemetery, the purchaser or memorial dealer is charged with the responsibility to contact the cemetery in each instance, and in timely fashion beforehand, to ensure that the product meets our specifications and requirements. No Metal: Stands, boxes, easels, pots, as well as shepherd hooks that are not attached to the granite top are strictly prohibited. Also no lawn ornaments, glass, or decorative stones and border edging are allowed. Candles of any kind are not permitted. These restrictions are necessary for your personal safety. Any violations mentioned above will be removed. Special holiday decorations will be removed one week following that holiday. No Glass: The cemetery does not permit the use of glass vases, crockery jars, plastic vases or clay pots. No standing decorations of any kind are permitted. This includes but is not limited to, shepherd hooks, potted plants, helium balloons, whirligigs, pinwheels, vigil candles, solar lights, toys and other objects that cannot be placed in the permanent vase. The cemetery is a large open space with many visitors. Management is not responsible for items left in the cemetery and is in no way obligated to replace or pay for decorations that are moved, removed, stolen, damaged, or destroyed. FLOWERS AND DECORATIONS All flowers must be placed in permanent vases approved by the cemetery. Vases may be purchased through the cemetery office. It is important to understand that the cemetery is not responsible for the care, maintenance or condition of items left on gravesites, crypts or niches. The Cemetery is not obligated to pay for or replace any items removed, broken or stolen from gravesites, crypts and niches. Funeral Flowers are removed as deemed necessary to ensure safety of visitors or to avoid hindrance of cemetery operations. Families wishing to keep funeral flowers are advised and encouraged to retrieve them from gravesite before leaving the cemetery. You are reminded that this is a Catholic Cemetery and all decorations must be respectful of and non-offensive to the religious nature and precepts of the Catholic Church. It is important to remember that the individual decoration of a gravesite may not hinder access to other gravesites. The following are NOT permitted at any time: • Decoration of the cemetery landscaping – e.g. trees, shrubs, lawns, statues and features. • Decorative fencing around gravesites or trenching of grass to outline boundaries • Use of flowers, garland or other items to outline the boundaries of the gravesites, crypts or niches. • Glass, or other fragile ornaments Styrofoam and plastic designs are permitted only for: EASTER, MOTHER’S DAY, MEMORIAL DAY, FATHER’S DAY and VETERAN’S DAY, they will be removed one week following the holiday and disposed of by Cemetery personnel. The following is recommended as an appropriate grave decoration program: Purchase and have installed a turn-down vase. Limit decorations to one for each grave. Use cut or artificial flowers in the vase for the Summer Season with a wreath as optional for the special dates. Place an identification tag on decorations of value to minimize loss during heavy wind. The cemetery reserves the right to remove any flowers and/or decorations to allow for ongoing operations such as funerals and general maintenance activities. Any items not specifically permitted by the cemetery may be removed without notice. Your cooperation and understanding is appreciated. Please address any concerns or questions to your Cemetery Manager.