Grave Decorations

ONLY FRESH CUT FLOWERS ARE ALLOWED ON FLAT-MARKER GRAVES.  No tree, shrub, plant, flower or anything of a similar nature may be planted on any grave or other area within the cemetery. No holes of any kind may be dug. No separations may be formed or items placed around graves to distinguish them from other graves. Artificial flowers, candles, upright vases, toys, figurines, glass items and other ornamentation are not permitted on graves, in lawn areas, or in front of crypts and niches.  Only approved flower vases will be allowed.  Check with the cemetery office on types of vases allowed.  The cemetery office is open Mon. through Fri. from 8:00 to 4:30pm and Saturdays from 9am to 1pm.

Flowers and other items left at the cemetery will usually be removed every Thursday, but may be removed at other times as deemed necessary by cemetery personnel.  The cemetery is open for visitation every day of the year 8am to 4:30pm.

Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum is not responsible for theft of, or damage to flowers or other items left at the cemetery.  The cemetery does not reimburse visitors or Interment Right Owners for the cost of flowers or other items missing from graves, crypts or niches.  Please consider this when placing flowers or other decorations.

Crypt and Niche Decorations

Fresh and artificial flowers are allowed on crypts and niches with vases.  Fresh flowers are removed after they wilt, artificial flowers are removed and discarded in July of each year.  Should you wish to keep artificial flowers, remove them by the end of June and return them after August 1st.  Placing items with adhesive, or writing on crypts/ niches with any type of marking pen, paint or lipstick is prohibited. Placing certain artificial flowers can permanently stain/ damage the crypt/ niche face if they become wet.  The cemetery is not responsible for damage caused in this manner. During strong winds flowers can be blown from the vase on outdoor crypts and niches.  When this occurs we are unable to determine where they belong and must discard them.  Holy Cross Mausoleum is open every day of the year from 8am to 4pm.

Visitor Conduct

For the safety of our visitors and employees, as well as respect to those buried within our cemetery, we do not allow dogs (except service dogs)  dog walking, bicycle riding, jogging, loud music, alcohol, barbecues, or similar recreational activities on cemetery property.  Please use care while driving inside the cemetery and do not block roads, walkways or other cars when parking. Lock all valuables inside your car out of sight.  Firearms and other weapons are prohibited. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times and are never permitted to run or play within the cemetery.  Holy Cross Cemetery is private property.

Grave Markers and Memorial Placement

The size, material, and design of a grave marker, monument, or other memorial shall be governed by the rules of the cemetery in effect at the time any such memorial is placed on the grave, crypt or niche and shall be subject to the approval of cemetery management. This includes ceramic photographs, flower vases and other memorial items. A one-time fee will be charged for labor involved in the installation and subsequent basic minimum care of each memorial placed. The cemetery shall not be liable for damage to markers, monuments, vases, statues, photographs, emblems, or any type of  memorial placed on a grave, crypt or niche. These memorial items remain the property of the purchaser, and may be covered under the purchaser’s homeowner’s insurance policy. Grave markers and other memorials may not be placed until all monies due the cemetery have been paid. The Interment Right Owner, or the nearest living relative of the deceased shall have the right to authorize placement of an approved grave marker, monument or memorial at their own expense.  If more than one person is buried in the grave, crypt or niche, all names and dates should appear.

Arranging Interment

The Interment Right Owner, or their authorized representative must arrange for burial/entombment at the cemetery office. Caskets may NOT be opened within the cemetery grounds or in mausoleum areas. The cemetery office should be notified by the funeral director, or other responsible person, of the outside dimensions of the casket or urn.  It is the responsibility of the authorized representative of the deceased to provide the cemetery with the exact measurements of any urn/ cremated remains container or non-standard size casket. Dimensions of child caskets, oversize caskets and urns should be provided to the cemetery in writing at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled interment.  Most funeral homes will assist with these details. The cemetery will not be held liable when a casket, urn or other interment receptacle does not fit into the grave, crypt or niche. Caskets WILL NOT be lowered to ground level during committal services, or entombed while people are gathered near the gravesite or crypt.  Only cemetery employees may participate in the interment/entombment process.

Right of Interment

The use of any grave, crypt, niche or other interment space (referred to as Right of Interment) is now and at all times shall be subject to the Rules and Regulations of Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery & Mausoleum (herein referred to as the cemetery), now existing and/ or which may at any time hereafter be adopted either by amendment, alteration or the adoption of new ones. Only one Right of Interment/ Entombment will be permitted in a single grave, crypt, or niche unless otherwise stipulated in the purchase agreement. The scattering of cremated remains within Holy Cross Cemetery IS NOT permitted.

Canceling Right of Interment

The Right of Interment in any grave, crypt, or niche is for Interment Right Owner and/or their relatives for interment/ entombment purposes only, and not for re-sale or profit.  The Right of Interment in a grave/crypt/niche/may be returned to Holy Cross Cemetery Only. By permission of the cemetery, a person not a member of the Interment Right Owner’s family may be interred/entombed in said grave/ crypt/niche: but in no case shall the Interment Right Owner have any authority to sell, exchange, or in any manner dispose of their interment rights or any part thereof except as herein provided.

When the Interment Right Owner Dies

In the event of the death of the Interment Right Owner, any and all privileges of the Right of Interment shall pass to their heirs in the following manner:

If the Interment Right Owner filed written instructions at the cemetery office as to the disposition of the Right of Interment, those instructions will be recognized by the cemetery and will be followed if, in the judgment of the cemetery, such instructions are definite, reasonable and practical.

If no written instructions were filed at the cemetery office, or if such instructions are insufficient, or in the opinion of the cemetery, faulty, and the Interment Right Owner has left instructions in a living trust or will duly admitted to probate in a court having jurisdiction thereof, such instructions shall control provided they are not in conflict with current rules or regulations of the cemetery. The cemetery must be furnished with a copy, as well as proof of the authenticity of such instructions satisfactory to the cemetery. The burden of informing the cemetery of the terms of such living trust or will shall be entirely on the person claiming any rights or privileges there under.

In the absence of any written instructions by the Interment Right Owner filed at the cemetery office by the Interment Right Owner, or a duly probated will or trust, the cemetery shall use its own discretion in transferring the Right of Interment to a member or members of the Interment Right Owner’s heirs. The cemetery will endeavor, in the exercise of its discretion, to follow the laws of succession of the State of California, but shall not be bound by same and shall not in any manner be held liable for error in judgment as to the right of any person to use the said Right of Interment where no specific written instructions satisfactory to the cemetery have been furnished as set forth above.

Should the Interment Right Owner consist of more than one person, then in the event of death of either person, and in the absence of specific written instructions signed by each person named as an Interment Right Owner and filed at the cemetery office, the surviving person shall succeed to the rights of the deceased.