Cemetery Operations

St. John's Archdiocese Inc.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese maintains five cemeteries in the St. John's and Mt. Pearl areas - Holy Sepulchre, Mount Carmel, Belvedere, Gate of Heaven and Kilbride. This update is intended to provide the public with information regarding burials in these four cemeteries along with the status of the opening of our new cemetery.

Plots Available for Burial

All  plots in Holy Sepulchre cemetery have been assigned.  

Families requesting a new plot have the option of a plot in Kilbride cemetery or in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Galway.

If families choose cremation, they have the additional option of committal to a niche in the columbaria in Holy Sepulchre or Mt. Carmel Cemetery.  We have selected several locations in these cemeteries where columbaria can be placed.  Thus, niches will be available for families for the foreseeable future.  There are only 15 inch niches available.  All the 12 inch niches have been assigned.

Cremations and Columbaria

In all the cemeteries, urns can be placed on top of casket burials thereby allowing families extended use of their plots. For more information on available space in plots for these purposes, families should contact the cemetery operations staff. We have columbaria established at Holy Sepulchre and Mount Carmel cemeteries. These can be extended and expanded indefinitely to meet the needs of families. Columbaria may also be added in the other cemeteries as the needs dictate.

New Cemetery In Galway

This new cemetery, Gate of Heaven, was dedicated by Archbishop Martin Currie in June 2018. The first burials were placed there in November 2018.

Again, families are reminded that the placing of flower beds on their plots is not permitted. Families are also asked to keep the number of flowers an ornaments to an absolute minimum.

Reserved Plots

Over the years, families were allowed to reserve cemetery plots prior to their immediate needs. Several years ago we discontinued this practice. 

Of the reserved plots we have on record there are a number which have not been used to date.  We are asking families, who have plot[s] on reserve, to contact the Cemetery Operations Office to confirm whether or not they still require a reserved plot. In this way we can verify any spaces that are no longer required for reserve and update our lists of plots available for current use.

Your support allows us to maintain our cemeteries to a level of care appropriate to the dignity and sanctity deserving of the final resting place of our loved ones. We thank all those for their past support of the cemeteries through annual collections and other donations.