Rules and Regulations for
St. Mary Parish Cemetery
Parish Cemetery Office 50931 Maria, New Baltimore, Michigan 48047
Parish Phone Number: (586) 725-2441
In order to maintain and improve the general beauty and uniform appearance of St. Mary Parish Cemetery, and to show the proper respect to the loved ones buried there, it is necessary that the following rules and regulations be honored and respected:
GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS
1. NEW REGULATIONS shall be adopted from time to time as deemed
necessary by the St. Mary Cemetery Committee. Such regulations shall apply to
all purchases of graves and to all rights of burial, whether prior to or
subsequent to their adoption.
2. Conveyance of BURIAL RIGHTS may be made only on forms prescribed by this Cemetery. All transactions must take place at the St. Mary Parish Cemetery office. At that time, ALL CHARGES FOR INTERMENT SERVICES in connection therewith, shall be paid. ARRANGEMENTS FOR PAYMENT of any and all indebtedness due to the Cemetery must be made at that time.
3. VISITING HOURS vary with the time of the year, from 7:00 AM until sunset. Visitation before or after regular visiting hours is not permitted. This cemetery is not to be used as a recreational area.
4. Leashed or unleashed PETS of any kind are not permitted.
5. ALL WORK ON GRAVE REPAIR, INTERMENTS, INURNMENTS, REMOVALS, MONUMENTS AND MARKERS will be completed under the supervision of, and in such manner as deemed necessary by, the Cemetery Management for the orderly operation of the cemetery.
MONUMENTS/MARKERS
6. The term MONUMENT shall include a tablet, headstone, tombstone, urn, crypt and niche of granite, marble or bronze which shall extend no more than 30 (thirty) inches above the ground. The term MARKER shall include a tablet, headstone and tombstone which is flush with the ground. All monuments and markers must have a foundation, installed by personnel approved by the Cemetery Management.
7. ALL MONUMENTS AND MARKERS must be of granite, marble or bronze, with a size of no more than 20 (twenty) inches deep by 30 (thirty) inches wide, by no more than 30 (thirty) inches high (for monuments) per grave; only one above-ground monument is allowed per grave. See # 10 for the approved dimensions for cremains markers. Every occupied grave should have some sort of IDENTIFICATION MARKER. Due to their quick deterioration, no wooden crosses are permitted.
8. ALL CARVINGS, INSCRIPTIONS, EPITAPHS, must be of a religious nature and must be approved by the Cemetery Management prior to ordering and installation. NAMES placed on monuments and markers must conform exactly with all cemetery records. Because of the Catholic nature of our cemetery, it is recommended that a Latin cross appear somewhere on the monument/marker.
9. NO MAUSOLEUM IS PERMITTED. Above-ground crypts, not to exceed four feet in height, are permitted in designated areas only.
10. IN-GROUND INTERMENT OF CREMAINS in approved containers is permitted, with a maximum of three cremains burials per grave. The scattering of cremains, or the leaving of cremains on the top of graves, is forbidden. One monument/marker, meeting the above criteria, is permitted for the first in-ground interment of cremains. CREMAINS MARKERS for second or third same-site interments, if they are not part of the original monument/marker, must be flush with the ground, no more than 10 (ten) inches deep by 16 (sixteen) inches wide.
GRAVE DECORATIONS
11. FRESH CUT FLOWERS, NATURAL PLANTS AND ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS AND PLANTS are permitted, as long as they are maintained and attractive in the judgment of the Cemetery Management. A PLANTING AREA only is permitted only in front of the monument/marker, as long it is flush with the ground and is placed within 12 (twelve) inches of the headstone. No planting is permitted alongside of or behind any monument/marker and will be removed. Planted areas must be maintained and weeded by the grave owner or by the grave owner's designate. Shepherd hooks and hanging plants are not permitted. The planting of NEW TREES AND SHRUBS on individual graves or family plots is never permitted.
12. The Cemetery Management has the authority to remove any decoration or statue and all artificial and natural floral designs, flowers, weeds, trees, shrubs, plants or herbage of any kind from the Cemetery as soon as, in the judgment of the Cemetery Management, they become unsightly, dangerous or detrimental to the well-being, beauty and appearance of this Cemetery.
13. WINTER GRAVE BLANKETS AND WREATHS (not to exceed 30 (thirty) inches by 5 (five) feet, are permitted from November 15 to March 25. They are to be made of natural evergreen boughs, red ruscus, natural pine cones and ribbon.
14. ALL GLASS AND PLASTIC OBJECTS, CANS AND BOTTLES are never permitted and will be removed. No other decorations, other than those expressly described here, are permitted.
15. ALL STATUES must be of a religious nature and are not to exceed 30 (thirty) inches in height by 8 (eight) inches in width by 8 (eight) inches in depth. They must remain within the 12” planting area in front of the monument. VIGIL LIGHTS are not recommended. Any vigil lights not maintained will be removed.
16. AN AMERICAN FLAG may be placed at a Veteran's grave on Memorial Day (late May) and must be removed by October 1. Any flag may be removed at any time, if, in the judgment of Cemetery Management, they become unsightly.
17. No borders, edging or structures of any kind are permitted around the planting area or grave. Rocks or any loose stones are never permitted and will be removed.
18. The Cemetery Management reserves the right to LANDSCAPE according to a prepared landscape plan. Private plans for landscaping a particular grave must be approved by the Cemetery Management. The Cemetery Caretaker will be responsible for SEEDING new burial sites. However, due to the volume of burials and the uncertainty of weather conditions, the watering of individual graves by cemetery personnel on a daily basis is not possible. Sod placed at a grave site must be flush with the ground. All GRASS CUTTING and FERTILIZING must be done by authorized cemetery personnel only.
19. Anything placed on lots in this cemetery is done at PERSONAL RISK. The Cemetery will not replace any decoration destroyed, stolen, damaged or removed for any reason. Damaged sod will not be replaced. The Cemetery Management reserves the right to remove any decorations at any time.
20. Do not stack stones, rocks, sod, weeds, clippings and refuse along the roadway or on another grave site. Please take them to the DUMPSTER, located near the maintenance garage.
21. No additional decorations, flowers or ornamentation of any kind are allowed on any COLUMBARIUM SHELTER NICHES and will be removed.
We appreciate your patronage, and we are grateful for your cooperation.
Approved: Dec. 1, 1994; Revised and Approved: Sept. 15, 1997, Aug. 21, 2000, Aug. 15, 2005, and Oct. 17, 2005 by the St. Mary Queen of Creation Parish Stewardship Commission