St. John Catholic Cemetery
St. John Catholic Cemetery is operated in association with, and under the patronage of St. John Chrysostom Parish for the benefit of the parishioners of St. John Chrysostom, St. Elizabeth Seton, Our Lady of Grace and Our Lady of the Lake parishes.
The Cemetery consists of approximately 4 acres of picturesque property located on the west side of Old Main St. one and a half km north of Davis Dr. on a site overlooking the valley of the Holland River (see location map) and is accessible from Main St. N. in Newmarket. The Cemetery office is located in the Administration building of St. John Chrysostom Parish at 432 Ontario St. in Newmarket.
St. John Cemetery is operated by a volunteer Board of Directors consisting of 12 members from St. John and St. Elizabeth Seton Parish under the supervision of the Parish Priest of St. John Chrysostom Parish and an elected Chairman. The Board meets approximately four times a year to review the financial status and to establish guidelines for the day-to-day operations of the Cemetery. The administrative functions are performed by a volunteer Administrator.
Maintenance of the Cemetery is supervised by a member of the Board. Major maintenance tasks such as grass cutting, snow plowing, and grave excavations are contracted to local suppliers. The Cemetery Board also hires part-time maintenance help in the summer months.
Acquiring a Cemetery Plot
Cemetery plots can be purchased on both an “at need” or “pre-need” basis by contacting the Administrator at the Cemetery Office at 905-898-4137 Ext. 207. The Administrator is available by appointment but can be contacted in an emergency at other times through the parish secretary.
St. John Cemetery contains both regular burial and cremation burial plots.
Regular Burial Plots:
A regular burial plot consists of an area of 3 feet 6 inches wide by 10 feet long, which can contain two burials, the first an extra depth burial and the second at regular depth. Each plot includes a concrete monument foundation which not only serves as a foundation for a vertical monument but also delineates the outlines of the plot thus making the purchase of corner stones unnecessary.
Cremation Plots:
The cremation plot covers an area of 3 feet 6 inches by 4 feet and can contain up to 4 regular-sized urns. These plots include a concrete monument foundation similar to the foundations included with the regular plots.
Generally regular burial plots are sold in sequence starting from either end of a row to minimize the number of isolated unsold plots. Regular burial plots are currently being sold in Section J and cremation plots in Section G. See the attached outline map of the Cemetery at the end of this document.
Once a selection is made, a statement of costs is provided which breaks down the costs into the various categories i.e. Land, Care & Maintenance and Monument Foundation. (A price list is attached to this web site). Forty percent of the total price of the plot, excluding the cost of the monument foundation, is transferred to the Care & Maintenance Trust fund as mandated by Provincial legislation. The Care & Maintenance Trust Fund for St. John Cemetery is consolidated with the funds from Catholic Cemeteries Inc. of the Archdiocese of Toronto. The annual income from this fund is used to assist in defraying the maintenance costs of the Cemetery.
When payment has been made the buyer is issued a Certificate of Interment Rights (Deed) to the purchased plot. This document defines who has the right to be buried or to specify who can be buried in the plot and becomes part of the estate of the Purchaser. It is important that when the deed changes hands through inheritance that the new owners provide the Administrator with updated address and phone information. The Purchaser will also receive a copy of the Bylaws of the Cemetery at the time of purchase. This document should be retained and referenced when making arrangements for monuments or planting flowers at the plot.
Plots cannot be sold by the Purchaser except back to the Cemetery Board. The Board will reimburse the Purchaser for the purchase price less the cost of taxes or Care & Maintenance funds that have already been submitted and cannot be retrieved by the Cemetery.
At the Time of the Burial:
When making funeral arrangements, if a plot has been pre-purchased it is generally not necessary to contact the Cemetery Administrator. The Certificate of Interment Rights can be presented to the Funeral Home and they will normally contact the Administrator and provide the arrangement details. It is necessary to provide the Administrator with at least 48 hours’ notice of a burial so that arrangements can be made with the excavator.
If a plot is being purchased on an “at need” basis the arrangements to purchase a plot must be discussed with the Funeral Home. Some Funeral Homes will permit the cost of the plot to be consolidated with the total funeral costs. Others require that the plot be purchased separately. In either case, arrangements should be made with the Cemetery Administrator as soon as possible to select a plot so that the 48 hours’ notice can be provided to the excavation contractor.
At the time of the burial the Cemetery charges an Open/Close fee to cover the cost of excavation and cemetery services at the grave site. These charges are outlined in the attached Price List. This charge can normally be consolidated with other funeral charges and paid through the Funeral Home. A premium is charged for burials between December 1 and April 30 to cover the costs of excavating frozen or very wet soil. A premium is also charged for burials that take place on Saturdays.
Burials are not performed on Sundays or on statutory or religious holidays.
Cremation Burials
Burial of cremation remains can be arranged at any time either directly with the Cemetery Administrator or through the Funeral Home. Burials of cremation remains are not performed between December 1 and April 30 nor on Sundays or statutory or religious holidays. The Open/Close charges for cremation burials are outlined in the attached Price List.
Normally at least one week’s notice is required for cremation burials to allow for the necessary arrangements to be completed.
As a result of the increased acceptance of cremations in the Catholic community and to provide a greater range of choice to the families in the parishes served by our cemetery, the St. John Cemetery Board has columbarium niches available for cremations.
The columbarium provides another option as a final resting place for the cremated remains of our loved ones and also makes efficient use of the limited land resources available for the cemetery.
Monuments
Arrangements for installing a monument are the responsibility of the plot owner and can be arranged through any recognized monument supplier. The monument must meet the requirements of the Cemetery Bylaws and be approved by the Cemetery. Failure to comply with the Bylaws may prevent the monument from being installed or if installed may require its removal.
At the time of installation of a monument Provincial legislation requires that the Cemetery charge a Care and Maintenance fee of $200 for a vertical monument or $50 for a flat “in ground” monument. These funds are consolidated with the Cemetery Care & Maintenance funds as noted above and the income is used to maintain the monuments in a safe condition.
By Laws and Price List
Below you will find the Cemetery By-Laws and the Price List.
Contact Information
Chris West
Cemetery Administrator
stjc.cemetery@gmail.com
905-898-4137 Ext. 207 Fax: 905-884-0477
Christine Allen
Cemetery Staff
stjc.cemetery@gmail.com
Location
St. John Cemetery is located on Old Main Street, North.
