Cemetery Cleanup Reminders

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in following the cemetery rules and regulations.  Here are a few important reminders:

  • The cemetery completes scheduled cleanups after holidays throughout the year. Please refer to the holiday decoration schedule that is posted to our website and available at each cemetery office. During cleanups, the staff removes holiday-specific decorations, and if time permits, they will also remove any violations. However, it is important to note the following:
    • If an item is not removed during a cleanup, this does not mean that the item is acceptable. The staff may have been focused solely on holiday decorations during that cleanup due to other priorities at the time.
    • Separate from the cleanup schedule, violations may be removed at any time without notice, especially if items are a safety hazard or they interfere with cemetery work
  • The only items permitted on graves all year round are flowers, flags and flush in-ground bouquet holders as specified in the cemetery regulations. No other items are permitted and may be removed and discarded; this includes but is not limited to statues, plaques, rocks, pictures, solar lights, edging/borders, and bric-a-brac.
  • Artificial flowers are only permitted at the cemeteries from November 1st until one week after Easter.
    • Artificial flowers are permitted year-round at Holy Sepulchre only due to the cemetery’s deer population.
  • Due to the volume of items being removed during cemetery cleanups, it is not possible to make arrangements to have families claim items once they have been removed. We kindly ask that families refrain from placing any prohibited items back on graves after cleanups are completed.

Please click the links below for more information and to review a summary of the rules and regulations for Catholic Cemeteries of Long Island.

Seasonal Planting & Decoration Schedule (2025)

Cemetery Rules & Regulations – Overview

Planting & Decoration Reference Guide

Planting & Decoration Guidelines – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Cemetery Rules & Regulations – Why Do They Exist?

There are three distinct groups that must be considered in the exercise of the Corporal Work of Mercy known as the Burial of the Dead. Those who are buried, entombed, or inurned in our cemeteries are the first group. The second group consists of the survivors and visitors to Catholic Cemeteries. The third group that must be considered includes the Catholic Church itself, its rituals, disciplines and procedures, cemetery management and all cemetery support staff.

Rules and Regulations play an important part in the beautification and preservation of the sacred resting place of the faithful departed. These rules are intended not as restraining, but rather as defining an orderly plan of operation, care and permanent maintenance. They are meant to help sanctify the living memories of those buried within the cemeteries and to create an environment that awakens faith and brings consolation. The enforcement of the rules will assist in protecting the cemeteries, by creating and preserving their beauty, and ensuring that the interests of all concerned parties are equally addressed.