The Rite of Committal is the final liturgy in the Order of Christian Funerals. Like the Vigil Service, the Rite of Committal makes use of Scripture, a few words of hope by the presider, intercessions and prayers. A Catholic cemetery is a place of honor and respect for those who have died; it is a sacred place where Catholics come to express their grief and hope for their loved ones who have preceded them in death. It is consecrated ground, fitting for someone whose body was a temple of the Holy Spirit on earth and now awaits the resurrection from the dead. To have a representative of the Church present at this final moment is a great source of consolation to those who will now have to continue their journey in life without their beloved. While a priest may be unable to preside at the Committal Service, a deacon or a trained bereavement minister may represent the Church at this final moment.
For information on cremation services at Catholic Cemeteries of Long Island, click here.
Best Practices – The Committal Service Document
Burial Space Options
This is a brief overview of the options available at the Catholic Cemeteries of Long Island. Our staff is always available to assist you and help you decide what is best for your family. If you’d like to learn more about your choices, please call the cemetery office for more information.
- Traditional Burial Options are available in burial plots memorialized by either upright monuments or flat markers. Monument lots (both single grave and larger sized plots) allow one upright monument to be installed on the lot. Shrine sections generally have a central shrine or feature and each grave is memorialized by a lawn-level bronze marker.
- Lawn Crypts provide burial space for two in a pre-installed, double depth concrete chamber. Lawn crypts allow a family to provide for the majority of their cemetery needs at an affordable package price: burial space and outer container. Lawn crypt lots allow for either an upright monument or lawn-level bronze memorial with vase, depending on burial section. Lawn Crypts are available at Queen of All Saints Cemetery and Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.
- Entombments in Community Mausoleums offer a number of options to meet the preferences and budgets of those families that prefer above ground entombment. The price of a mausoleum crypt can compare favorably with the total cost of ground burial after factoring in memorialization. Crypt spaces are available in our community mausoleums in both indoor and garden settings.
- Family Heritage Lots can accommodate either a private family mausoleum or in-ground burial spaces. Custom landscaping and distinctive memorialization is available on these estate lots.
- Cremation Urn Niches are specially designed for families choosing cremation. Our cemeteries offer a variety of cremation niche space for inurnment at our community mausoleums in both indoor and garden settings. Cremation niches are also available in outdoor columbaria at each of our four cemeteries.