Cardinal McCarrick to Dedicate New Catholic Cemetery in Upper Montgomery County

First Catholic Cemetery to Open Since 1966

July 17, 2003

The Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Washington, Inc. (CCAW) will open its first major new Catholic cemetery in the metropolitan area since 1966 to serve the burial needs of families in Upper Montgomery County.

Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, will bless All Souls Cemetery:

All Souls Cemetery
Saturday, July 19
10:30 a.m.
11401 Brink Road, Germantown

“Prayer for a loved one’s soul is an essential part of how Catholics take care of their family members after death,” says CCAW Director Frank Markowski. “Since many families find great solace in prayer right at the burial site, our cemeteries are well-located for frequent visits.”

The first phase of the cemetery’s development features 25 acres of ground burial space, an office building and maintenance facility, with special sections for infant burials and the interment of cremated remains. Entombment will be available in three to five years with the completion of a large cemetery chapel and garden mausoleum complex. Once this central feature is in place, other significant religious statuary and artwork will be added over time throughout the cemetery. Subsequent phases of the cemetery will be developed as needed during the next 100 years.

In keeping with the Catholic Church’s teachings, cremated remains must be treated with the same dignity and respect as a body and interred in a cemetery. When fully developed, All Souls Cemetery will offer two burial options for cremated remains: in-ground burial or entombment in an above-ground niche. Families selecting in-ground burial of bodies or cremated remains will have the option to memorialize graves with either flat ground markers or upright monuments.

“This variety of choices and services is important to people,” says Markowski. “Our Catholic cemeterians work closely with both Church leaders and families to provide faithful Christian burial for the community of faith.”

Mr. Michael Mazzuca is the manager of All Souls. He formerly managed Resurrection Cemetery, a Catholic cemetery of the Archdiocese of Washington located in Prince George’s County.

In addition to All Souls and Resurrection cemeteries, CCAW also operates historic Mount Olivet Cemetery in the District of Columbia, Gate of Heaven Cemetery in lower Montgomery County, St. Mary's Queen of Peace Cemetery in Southern Maryland and provides management services for 28 parish cemeteries throughout the Archdiocese. For more information on Catholic cemeteries call 301-871-1300 or visit www.ccaw.org.

Contact:
Susan Gibbs or Mary Beth Newkumet

301-853-4515 or 301-649-6565
gibbss@adw.org

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