MONROE — The historic St. Joseph’s Cemetery on North Monroe Street, which serves four Catholic parishes in Monroe and is open to all Christians, is now affiliated with the Catholic cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Detroit.

The cemetery, formerly operated by the parishes of St. Mary, St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist and St. Michael the Archangel, will now be managed by the archdiocese’s Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services of Detroit, which also operates Our Lady of Hope Cemetery in Brownstown, Mount Carmel Cemetery in Wyandotte, Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield and Holy Cross Cemetery in Detroit.

The move was made after consultation with the leadership at the four Monroe parishes.

“The archbishop is very pleased to have the Monroe community and St. Joseph’s Cemetery be supported by Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services,” said Fr. Timothy Babcock, liaison for archdiocesan cemeteries and a board member of CFCS. “With the great team from CFCS-Detroit, we can bring good cemetery practices to every aspect of the administration and operation of the cemetery. We already have seen an improved level of lawn care.”

Fr. Babcock called cemetery services “a ministry, first and foremost” for the Church. As part of that ministry, St. Joseph’s Cemetery has also implemented the Mother Teresa Program, which provides financial and other types of burial assistance from CFCS for those less fortunate.

“No Christian family will be turned away due to financial needs,” said Maureen Chappell, associate director for CFCS. “With the Mother Teresa Program, we can work with the family to make sure they are served and the deceased are honored.”

St. Joseph Cemetery also offers cost-free interment of cremated remains in its Holy Angels Remembrance Crypt, open to all families of faith. While the Catholic Church prefers burial or entombment of the body, the remembrance crypt provides a way to give cremated remains a beautiful and dignified final resting place.
“Respect for the dignity of human remains is central to Catholic teaching,” Fr. Babcock said. “When a family does select cremation, we want the family to have a way to keep the cremated remains together and to have a committal service in a Catholic cemetery.”

The 35-acre St. Joseph Cemetery has been in operation since the early 1800s. It has traditional family plots with upright memorials permitted in most areas.

St. Joseph Cemetery’s office is open weekdays except Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call (734) 241-1411 for questions about burial options, family service counselors and other inquiries.