Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Ph.D., D.D. Bishop of Brooklyn

My Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

As Catholic Christians, we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection, has conquered sin and death and has opened for us the gates of eternal life. When a loved one dies, we reaffirm, despite our sorrow and grief, that death is not the end of human life but a passage to a new and even greater life. This hope of eternal life motivates us to praise and worship Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

With such living faith in our hearts, we put to rest the mortal bodies of our brothers and sisters in the consecrated ground of our Catholic Cemeteries to await the Second Coming of the Lord. On that glorious day, all the dead will rise from their graves and those found faithful will enter the glory of eternal life. It is with this same faith that we hope to be laid to rest in our graves.

Burial in a Catholic Cemetery is an affirmation of our Catholic faith, an expression of dignity and reverence for our departed family members and friends and an act of respect for the beauty and sacredness of the human body. It is a sacred right and privilege of every Catholic to choose a burial in a Catholic Cemetery as a final act of faith.

Our Catholic Cemeteries are maintained with all the care the Church can provide. The beautiful surroundings pay tribute to those who have been laid to rest and give a sense of peace to family and friends. Furthermore, the deceased are always remembered in our prayers.

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in eternal peace forever.

Amen.

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Ph.D., D.D.

Bishop of Brooklyn