Catholic Cemeteries

There are over 100 Catholic cemeteries located throughout the 26 counties that make up the Diocese of Peoria.  To locate a Catholic cemetery near you, please contact your local parish or one of the Cemetery Associations listed below.

Please browse through the other pages in this section to gain a deeper understanding of our Catholic faith such as why choose a Catholic cemetery for burial. If you are unsure of terms, there is a FAQ page that will prove to be helpful.  Are you not very comfortable with funerals?  Take a moment to read through the Catholic funeral rite.  Did you know there were three sections to the rite?  Let the Holy Spirit continue to guide you to pray as the Church believes.  Please know our prayers are united with yours during your time of sorrow.

Why a Catholic Cemetery?

A Catholic cemetery is a sacred place that is set aside by the local church’s bishop. A Catholic cemetery is the resting place for those who are baptized, who worshipped and lived their Christian faith, and in death complete their baptismal commitment at rest with their fellow companions in faith. However, it is not a requirement to be Catholic to be buried in a Catholic cemetery. Within the norms for Catholic burial a Catholic may choose to be buried in a cemetery other than a Catholic one. The rite of committal includes a ritual for blessing the place of burial if it has not been previously blessed.

A Catholic Cemetery provides the most basic and vital of human needs, while ushering the most awesome of human encounters, Resurrection.

A Catholic Cemetery, while fulfilling our final earthly stewardship, signifies our sending forth on the mission eternal.

A Catholic Cemetery, serving man’s dignified interment purpose, becomes hallowed at God’s hand, and consecrated by His embrace.

A Catholic Cemetery is given dedicated care of lawns and roadways, is enhanced by the beauty of flowers and trees, but it is because we treasure memories of our loved ones whose bodies wait therein, that make this a holy place of special significance in our community.

A Catholic Cemetery, in a tangible way, projecst a sign of our faith, gives witness to our compassion, and speaks a powerful message that we accept death as the pre-requisite conditioner for us all. May our faith be shared, may our compassion be emulated, and may our acceptance be understood, by family, by visitors, and by passers-by.

A Catholic Cemetery merits, by those who preside over and by those who pass through, our forthright diligence, our utmost efficiency, our humble respect, and our sacred honor. Wheter we give care, offer prayer, visit or rest within, may our experience of Catholic cemeteries be enriching, be transforming, and be blessed.