PARTNERS

When I joined Catholic Cemeteries and Funeral Homes in 2006, I was instantly moved by my work. On any given day, I not only help families preplan their funeral arrangements services, but I also help them in times of sudden loss, something I went through myself only a few months ago when my husband passed away.

There is a growing interest around the world about the celebration of el Día de los Muertos, exemplified by two recent animation movies about this topic: "The Book of Life" and "Coco." I believe that this fascination about the el Día de los Muertos celebration is the safest opportunity for people to talk freely about death without feeling vulnerable.

“As Catholics, we are blessed with a powerful way to grieve the loss of a loved one during this painful time of loss and contemplation: The Catholic Funeral Rite.”

At Catholic Cemeteries and Funeral Homes, we take a proactive approach to cemetery development so we can continue to serve the burial needs of Catholic families for generations to come.

Today’s popular culture often teaches us that we should put ourselves first. As Catholics, Lent is a gift that offers us a time to put our wants and needs aside and focus on drawing closer to the Lord. During these 40 days of introspection, contrition and sacrifice, we can grow stronger in our faith. By imitating Christ’s life, we grow in virtue.

Most of us don’t think about death until we are forced to face it. When we lose a loved one, we may head to a funeral home not knowing much about the process of planning a funeral and burial in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

This time of year, we retell one of the most important stories about our Catholic faith: the story of the birth of Jesus. As we read each year in the scripture, Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem to register for the census. Upon their arrival, Mary went into labor. In the throes of childbirth with nowhere to go, she and Joseph found themselves in a cold stable with the animals during one of the most vulnerable times of their lives.

Today, we live in a noisy, mile-a-minute world. The idea of a cloistered community of contemplative nuns in the rural Arizona desert may be difficult for some of us to grasp at first. If you look a little closer, though, you’ll find a beautiful sanctuary where the commotion of daily life is replaced by a deliberate focus on Christ at the center of everything.

When we lose a loved one, it never crosses our minds that the cemetery would not be able to accommodate our needs. We assume that burial space will be available whenever we require it. However, in some of the older corners of our country and around the world, some historic cemeteries have reached capacity.

As Catholics, we sometimes enter the season of Lent with a sense of somberness and woe. After all, this is a time of fasting, prayer and giving alms as we reflect on the suffering and death of Christ.