Here are the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions. For more information, call the office at 937-293-1221 or email us.

Yes, Since Vatican II, Canon Law has stated that all human beings are children of God and deserve a respectful burial united with the community in memorialization. This evolution of thought seeks to be inclusive of all people in the ultimate practice of God’s Word directing us to love one another as ourselves.

Of course! Family members who are not Catholic, including spouses, children, parents, may be buried in our cemetery in order to maintain family unity even in death.

Reconciliation is the hope of the Church even in death. A former, inactive or non-practicing Catholic may be buried in Calvary cemetery.

Yes! See Cremation and the Catholic Church for more details. Calvary offers an increasing number of options for those who choose cremation.There are many questions and misconceptions about the Catholic Church’s policy on cremation. Many Catholics mistakenly believe that the Catholic Church still frowns upon cremation. Since the early 1960’s, the Catholic Church has allowed and has been evolving its position on cremation. In 1983, guidelines for cremation were included in the Code of Canon Law. In 1989, a task force was formed to examine the growing practice of cremation and sought ways to preserve traditional burial rites while accommodating the new policy. Finally in 1997, the Holy See granted permission to American bishops to allow funeral masses in the presence of cremated remains.

The Church prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for funeral rites, recommending the cremation take place following the funeral liturgy if at all possible. The bishops emphasize the respect due to the body as a temple of the spirit. The cremains are to be kept intact in a proper vessel and reverently buried or inurned in a lot, columbarium or niche of a dedicated mausoleum. There are many ways to be inurned in Calvary Cemetery.

To date, just over 80,000. This figure includes over 4,000 burials that were transferred here from St. Henry Cemetery of Dayton after its closure in the late 1800s. Over the last decade Calvary has averaged approximately 675 burials annually.

Yes, in certain sections we allow traditional upright monuments. Please call the office at 937-293-1221 for more information.

Not in Ohio, however in most cases you will find this is a requirement of the individual cemeteries to support the ground due to equipment traffic such as tractors, trucks, mowers, etc. A concrete or steel vault to contain a casket is a requirement at Calvary Cemetery. Calvary does offer selection of burial vaults.

Frequently Asked Questions About Natural Burial

People sometimes have misconceptions about what the green burial practice is and whether there are issues with it. Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.

Yes, of course! Natural burial is simply another option we are offering to a distinct interest group.

Choosing natural burial may be less expensive because the biodegradable caskets, shrouds and urns are less costly than most of their traditional counter parts. If there is no embalming, that cost may also be saved. There are no cement burial vaults used, so that is an expense you will not have. Consult with the Calvary Cemetery staff about the costs for lots, site preparation and interment charges, and memorialization options to determine the final costs you will have. The primary reason for choosing a natural burial is the desire to be eco-conscious.

Once buried, bodies will not be exhumed for any purpose from this area.

Over time there will some sinking of the earth at any grave. Calvary always back fills with high quality top soil to ensure safe and stable ground. A mixture of grasses selected especially for this land conservation space will provide an erosion resistant ground cover. The native plants you choose for your site will also help with this. Burial sites are organized around the pathways to allow foot traffic around the Preserve. No lawn mowers or heavy equipment will be used on the burial sites, keeping the ground level consistent.

No, absolutely not. Requirements in this area include that only earth friendly solutions and procedures are used in preparation for burial. Nothing unnatural goes in to the ground, so there is no fear of pollution of water. In addition, Calvary is the ideal spot for a cemetery because it sits on a porous, about twenty foot thick, limestone base which filters all the water coming through the ground into the aquifer.

Green Space

Cemeteries are not only an important part of our communities and our culture; they also provide maintained green spaces in urban and suburban areas.

Calvary Cemetery owns and maintains one of the largest green spaces in the Miami Valley. Currently we mow 110 acres of turf-grass area. This space contains on average 15 trees per acre. Also Calvary places hundreds of annual and perennial plants into the landscape including shrubs, ornamental grasses, and flowers. Since 1990 our tree management program removes about 10 damaged or dead trees per year while planting an average of 15 new trees annually. In the southwest portion of the property is a 90 acre forest in reserve for future use. The need for this space will take place slowly over the next estimated 200 years or more.

  • Grass plants are 70 to 80% water
  • Grass clippings are 90% water
  • Grass clippings contain 4% nitrogen, 2% potassium and 0.5% phosphorus
  • A 10,000 square foot lawn will contain:
    • 6 grass plants per square inch
    • 850 plants per square foot
    • 8.5 million plants total

Today’s improved turf-grass varieties are very effective in reducing pollution.

  • Turf-grass traps and removes dust and dirt from the air.
  • 2,500 square feet of lawn absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and release enough oxygen for a family of four to breathe.

  • Trees renew our air supply by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.
  • The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.
  • One acre of trees removes up to 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide each year.
  • Shade trees can make buildings up to 20 degrees cooler in the summer.
  • Trees lower air temperature by evaporating water in their leaves.
  • Tree roots stabilize soil and prevent erosion.
  • Trees improve water quality by slowing and filtering rain water, as well as protecting aquifers and watersheds.
    The cottonwood tree seed is the seed that stays in flight the longest. The tiny seed is surrounded by ultra-light, white fluff hairs that can carry it on the air for several days.

Methods of Disposition

As a Catholic Cemetery, Calvary is committed to the corporal work of mercy of the respectful burial of the dead. Many options are available ranging from a burial space with a monument or marker, natural burial, placement in a niche or personal columbarium, or private estate mausoleums. In 2016, the Vatican, in the document “To Rise with Christ,” required the burial of cremated human remains in a cemetery, or sacred space. Calvary Cemetery, as part of our Catholic mission, offers many different options for the respectful, and permanent, inurnment of your loved one. Among the options are:

  • Placement in a Niche. We have many options for niches throughout our cemetery grounds, including glass front niches in our new “Garden of Peace” Columbarium.
  • Burial in our traditional marker and monument graves.
  • Natural Burial in our St. Kateri Preserve for Natural Burial, an 8 acre preserve dedicated to nature and the environment.
  • Placement on a Family & Feature Lot utilizing a private, family mausoleum.

All of these forms of final disposition are personal choices that demonstrate the esteem, love and respect with which we hold our loved ones, family and friends. Our staff at Calvary would be honored to help you to decide which manner is most appropriate for you and your family.

Help Us Keep Calvary Beautiful

Thank you for your generous support of Calvary Cemetery of Dayton.