The cemetery is located at Bauman and Dolan Roads in Columbus Township, Michigan. To learn more, or to purchase a plot, please contact Barb Quigley at (810) 392-2056 or bquigley@holyfamily-online.org. Her office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm.
ST. PHILIP NERI CEMETERY RULES AND REGULATIONS
Purpose of the Cemetery
St. Philip Neri Cemetery is intended for the internment of parishioners and non-parishioners who are entitled to a Christian burial according to the rules and discipline of the Roman Catholic Church. Exclusively, the management of St. Philip Neri Cemetery shall decide any questions regarding burial, and such decisions shall be final and binding on the parties.
Certificate of Right of Burial The Certificate of Right of Burial grants only the right or privilege of burial to the plot holder and not title or any other interests in and to the land itself.
Internment Arrangements Management has the right to request those wishing to make a selection of a plot or arrange for an Internment, to call at the Parish Office in ample time to complete arrangements before closing time of said office. If a funeral director or other Agent is representing the plot holder the arrangements made by the Agent with Management are binding on the plot holder.No organizations, except military or those approved by Management will be permitted to conduct services in St. Philip Neri Cemetery.
Intermnment Procedures All funerals on entering the cemetery shall be under the exclusive charge and sole direction of Management. A burial permit for each funeral as required by the Michigan Department of Health having jurisdiction of the matter must be presented to the Management before internment is commenced. No casket shall be opened at any time within the cemetery. All requirements of the Michigan Department of Health must be fulfilled. Management reserves the right to refuse permission to anyone to open the casket or to touch the body without the issuance of a court order. The Management shall assume no liability for the damage to any casket or outer container incurred in making internment, disinterment or removal. No disinterment or removal shall be allowed without the permission of Management and according to proper legal procedure.Management shall correct any error in the Certificate Right of Burial by; canceling such Certificate and substituting a Certificate of Right of Burial in another plot. The new plot shall be of equal value and similar location, or in mutual agreement between Management and the plot holder a refund of the purchase price of the Certificate of Right of Burial may be made. All caskets must be enclosed in a concrete, steel or other permanent container for earth internment. Use of wood or fiberglass containers is prohibited. Only persons employed by St. Philip Neri Cemetery shall be used in making internments.
Instruction to plot holders and plot holder rights Management reserves the right to specify the terms of purchase of all internment rights in a plot and to fix the number of internments allocated to a plot. If the purchaser fails to carry out the terms of the purchase agreement, Management may declare said agreement canceled. The use of a plot is for internment purposes only of the plot holder, the plot holder’s relatives, or the plot holder’s designee. The Certificate of Right of Burial granted is not transferable without the written consent of Management. The owner of the Certificate of Right of Burial shall not have any right to sell, transfer, exchange of in any manner dispose of said plot, or any part thereof, or any right of interest therein without the written consent of Management. In the event the owner of the Certificate of Right of Burial wishes to return a plot to the cemetery and it is acceptable to Management, only the original purchase price shall be reimbursed less an administrative fee and any other required service charges.
Use of the Cemetery
Visitors are not permitted to bring anyanimals into the cemetery or into any buildings in the Visisotrs cemetery. The only exception being dogs trained to aid the blind. The right is reserved by Management to regulate the method of decoration graves or plots, so that uniform beauty may be maintained. All summer flowers must be removed by November 1. During the winter months live wreaths, evergreen blankets and artificial decorations which are in keeping with the nature of a Catholic Cemetery are permitted between November 1 and April 1. Families are responsible for removing all decorations when they become withered or unsightly. The cemetery will discard any that are left unattended. Any articles of any description left on the ground will be removed without notice. Management will not be liable for vases, floral pieces, and baskets of flowers, beyond acceptance of such floral pieces for funeral services in the cemetery. All floral pieces will be removed the day following the internment service. Persons desiring to retain some should remove them immediately following the service. Flags and veteran emblems which are tattered, torn, faded or neglected will be removed without notice.
Conduct in the Cemetery Picnicking or partaking of any refreshments within the cemetery is prohibited. Throwing of rubbish on roads, driveways, paths, walks, any part of the grounds or in its buildings is prohibited. No one shall pluck any flowers, break any branches to remove, injure or cut any tree branches, plants or shrubs without specific permission of the Management. No signs, notices or advertising of any kind shall be allowed within the cemetery except those placed by the Management. Firearms are not permitted unless carried by members of a Military organization or by law enforcement personnel. Automobiles, funeral cars and other vehicles must be kept under control at all times and at no time shall such vehicles drive within the cemetery at a speed in excess of 15 miles per hour. All such vehicles must park on the road.
Cemetry Hours Management shall have the right to fix the opening and closing hours of the cemetery, cemetery office and all cemetery buildings.
Service charges and payments Management shall have the right to fix a charge and time of payment for each internment, disinternment, removal, plot transfer or release and for the performance of any other service rendered by Management including all work connected with such service as determined by said Management. A current price schedule is available at the church office. Any indebtedness due for such work performed on a plot must be paid before an internment in the plot may be made or before any memorial may be erected.
Perpetual care, grading, landscaping and improvements Management reserves the right at any time to erect buildings for any purpose or use connected with the operation of the cemetery. Management may, without notice, modify or alter any portion of the cemetery. Management reserves the exclusive right to do all grading, landscape work, and improvements of any kind including the care of plots, planting, trimming, cutting or removing any trees or shrubs within the cemetery. The landscape plans for the cemetery in respects to the location and varieties of trees and shrubs planted or to be planted shall be adhered to. Only trees and shrubs approved by the Management may be used, and then only in approved planting spaces and under the supervision of the Management. Any trees, shrubs or plants which in the opinion of the Management violate such plans, obstruct any adjacent plot, walk or road or are injurious to the general appearance of the cemetery shall be removed without notice by said Management. Plantings will be done at the owner’s own risk. Plants in other than biodegradable pots dug into the soil will be removed without notice. If repairs are necessary due to the damages incurred from such digging, a charge for the repair will be made to the owner of the Certificate of Right of Burial. The spreading of fertilizer, ashes or other material on lots to stimulate the growth of grass will not be allowed. The placing of crushed stone, wood chips or shells on graves is strictly prohibited. These will be removed by Management and disposed of without notice. Allow 3-4 weeks for initial leveling of grave and grass planting depending on weather and time of year. Allow up to two years for the final grade.
Right to replat The following rights and privileges are hereby expressly reserved for Management. These rights may be exercised at any time and include; the erection of buildings for any purpose or use connected with, incident to, or convenient for, the care or presentation of, or preparation for disposal of internment of, human dead bodies, or other cemetery business of affairs. To re-survey, enlarge, diminish, re-plat, alter in shape or size or otherwise to modify any part or portion of the cemetery. To lay out, establish, close, eliminate or otherwise modify the location of roads, walks, drives, providing ingress and egress to and from any plot. Management retains and maintains easements and right of way over and through all of the premises of the cemetery. Easements are used for the purpose of installing, maintaining and operating pipelines’ sprinklers, drainage, electric or communication lines of for any other cemetery purpose.
Outside workers Management reserves and shall have the right to give authorization to any work crew, other than employees of the cemetery, before they may do work in the cemetery. Plot holders may have certain work done in accordance with the Rules and Regulations at their own expense with written permission of Management.
Employees Employees of St. Philip’s Cemetery are not permitted to do any work for plot holders except upon the order of Management.
Loss or damage Management disclaims all responsibility for loss or damage from causes beyond their reasonable control. This includes especially damage by an Act of God, the elements, insurrections, riots, orders of any military or civil authority, thieves, vandals, strikers, malicious mischief makers, explosions, unavoidable accidents or any similar causes beyond the control of said Management.
Change of address It shall be the obligation of the plot holder to notify Management of any change in his of her post office address. Notice sent to a plot holder of the last address in Management’s records shall be considered sufficient and proper legal notification.
Memorials and rules for memorial work Memorial dealers shall abide by all rules and regulations of St. Philip Neri Cemetery. All memorials are subject to the approval of Management prior to the placements. All memorial work including the placement or removal of any memorial shall be on the written order of the plot holder. The location and position in which a memorial is to be placed on pre-erected formed footing shall be under the supervision of Management.
XVII - DEFINITIONS
LOCAL ORDINARY - shall mean the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit.
MANAGEMENT - shall mean the person or persons duly appointed by the parish pastoral council of Holy Family Parish for the purpose of conducting and administering St. Philip Neri Cemetery owned and operated by Holy Family Parish.
CEMETERY - all property for earth burials.
PLOT - shall include and apply to one grave.
INTERMENT - shall mean earth burial.
PLOT HOLDER - shall mean a person who has been granted internment rights or who holds the same by right of inheritance or transfer.
CERTIFICATE OF RIGHT OF BURIAL - grants only the privilege of internment as defined above and is not to construe as a deed to the land itself.
MEMORIAL - shall include monument, grave marker, or mausoleum for one or more deceased persons.
CARE - shall mean that care of the cemetery as herein defined.