The Cemeteries of St. Mary’s and St. Peter’s are committed to ensuring a solemn, reverent and respectful environment for the families and friends who come to pay their respects. To accomplish this, we have created guidelines to maintain our grounds as a place for prayer and reflection.

In order to keep the grounds maintained there is to be no planting of flowers, shrubs, hedges, trees, etc, and no fences, walls, railings or any other type of enclosure on the grave site. 

It is expected that all owners of the gravesites maintain proper decorum regarding decoration. It is for that reason, artificial flowers, artificial wreaths (unless attached to the top of the monument), plastic crosses, toys, balloons, bottles and other glass containers are not allowed on grave sites.

The Cemetery reserves the right to remove items that obstructs or interferes with general maintenance, does not reflect the sacred and respectful nature of the Cemetery, or may prove injurious or dangerous.

All holiday flowers and decorations need to be removed 10 days after the holiday. Holidays include Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, All Soul’s DayThanksgiving, Christmas, and Dia de los Metros.

In order to prepare the Cemetery Grounds for the winter months, all potted plants will be removed on the last Sunday of September. All winter decorations left on the graves will be removed on March 1.

Placing of flags on graves is the responsibility of various organizations or the plot owner, not of the Cemetery.

No urn shall be placed in the center of the grave or plot.

Cemetery hours are April 1 to September 30 from 8 AM to 7 PM, and October 1 to March 31 from 8 AM to 4:30 pm

The Flatbush Ave Gate will remain closed. It will be open for funerals upon request.

Cemetery gates are locked from dusk to dawn. 

In the event  of vandalism, a report shall be filed with the Police Department and the owner notified.

                                                                        

CREMATION
Cremation has been permitted by the Church since the Second Vatican Council 1963, provided that the cremated remains are buried with the same respect and dignity associated with a full-body burial. 

OWNERSHIP RECORDS
All lot owners are required to notify the Cemetery of any change of address to maintain the accuracy of the Cemetery records.

MONUMENTS
All memorials, foot stones, markers, etc., must be installed on an approved type of foundation.  Foundations are installed weather permitting.

Leveling of monuments, foot stones and markers shall be done at the expense of the Plot Owner.  Corner stones are not permitted.

All memorials shall have a cross, either cut or engraved thereon and all monuments or markers must be of true granite or true bronze. No marble is permitted.

No advertising may be affixed to the monument.

Funeral director markers shall be removed after a memorial is installed on the plot or grave.

Monuments, markers and foot stones are the personal property of the owner, the responsibility for maintenance and repair rests with the owner.

Only one monument permitted on any plot without the express permission of the cemetery management.

FAQ

WHAT IS THE CHURCH POLICY ON CREMATION?
Cremation has been permitted by the Church since the Second Vatican Council 1963. Cremated remains are to be buried with the same respect and dignity that is associated with a full-body burial. Cremated remains are not be retained at home or scattered, but entrusted to a Catholic cemetery. This ensure that the cremated remains will not be discarded or disrespected in future generations.

WHY IS MARBLE NOT PERMITTED FOR MONUMENTS?
Marble is more vulnerable to weather conditions, and the fragility of the stone allow for inscriptions to erode over time.

WHAT IS PERPETUAL CARE?
Perpetual Care in St Mary’s and St Peter’s Cemeteries provide for the upkeep and maintenance of the Cemeteries to continue when the Cemeteries are at capacity and no longer able to generate the necessary income. The interest drawn from these accounts provide for the Cemeteries operating budgets.

FALLEN MONUMENTS AND HEADSTONES
Repair of fallen or displaced monuments and their foundations are the responsibility of the owner of the cemetery plot. You can contact Charlie Dunham Foundations, 914-388-1083, for assistance in this matter. 

 

                                                         ST MARY’S ST PETER’S CEMETERIES
                                                        BOARD OF TRUSTEES Fall 2024 Report
 
We are happy to announce Maryanne Becker has been hired as our new Cemetery bookkeeper. Maryanne is employed as a bookkeeper for many of the Catholic parishes in the area.

Frank Naccarato has been hired as our new Cemetery Manager. A long time St. Mary’s parishioner, Frank owned his own business for many years, and brings that expertise in managing our office and overseeing our Caretaker and staff.

Maryanne and Frank both came to us highly recommended and we are very fortunate that they are able to bring years of experience to their new positions.

The Cemetery Office now has posted Office Hours. Frank will be available on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and of course by appointment. It has been renovated it to make it more comfortable to visitors.      
       
We are having new Cemetery Street signs made up for St. Mary’s and St. Peter’s. They will be installed within the next two months.
 
We have not forgotten those who offered help in digitizing our Cemetery records. Fortunately, we have made progress in accomplishing this through computer programs and scanning. We will soon be asking for your  help in adding the most recent files.
 
The Veteran organizations have started removing the flags in the area cemeteries as they prepare for the winter.

The Water spigots in both cemeteries will be turned off from October 31, 2024 through April 1, 2025
 
St. Peter’s Cemetery was scanned by Ground Penetrating Radar revealing about 100 unmarked graves. Some are identified in our records but have no monument. Others are unknown. It has identified the empty plots we have available in St.Peter’s.
 
Privacy screens have been place to hide the groundkeepers outdoor equipment and materials from visitors to the new part of the cemetery. We are looking to replace the broken chain link fence gate on Flatbush Avenue in this section.
 
Thank you for your generous support in our last Cemetery Collection. We would also like to thank the parishioners at Saint Joseph’s Church and Saint Catherine Laboure for their contributions. A second collection in November will help to finance the addition of Section Markers in St. Mary’s Cemetery to assist in finding gravesites.
       
We will have a general Parish Meeting in October.  Thank you for all your support, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us with questions or issues.
 
 
                                                      St. Mary’s St.Peter’s Board of Trustees

                                                    Jim Naccarato      Sue Feeney       Bill Geisel
                                                               Sam Maccaline     Nick Woerner

The Board wishes to thank the following for their invaluable assistance:

Gary Arold
Arold Construction

Bernie Gray
Joseph V. Leahy Funeral Home

Deacon Jack Carr

Rick Tarcza

Arlet Cartagena