What To Do When A Loved One Dies

Your priorities may vary, but survivors want to assure their loved one's end-of-life wishes are met, as well as have the opportunity to say goodbye.

When a death occurs you should notify:

• Emergency Services 911 (when a loved one dies at home)
• A Nurse (if you are present when your loved one dies in a hospital, nursing facility or hospice)
• Loved ones, family and friends
• Parish Priest
• CFCS
• Cemetery
• Funeral Home

Survivors' Checklist
Use this list to help guide you through who to contact and what important documents are necessary when a loved one passes away.

Contact

• Executor of the will
• Attorney
• Insurance agents
• Social Security
• Veteran's Office (if applicable)
• Banks
• Securities Broker
• Employer

Important Documents:

• Death Certificate
• Birth Certificate
• Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
• Pre-Need Planner
• Will
• Advanced Directives
• Social Security Card
• Insurance Documents
• Pension Information
• Trust Information
• Veteran's Discharge Papers (if applicable)

Making Arrangements
Use this simple guide to help you through difficulty of losing a loved one.
Read more...

After Care Process
Take care of yourself:

• Eat and rest as much as possible
• Spend time with friends and family, accept offers of help
• Involve yourself with meaningful tasks, delegate the others

Support groups:
Aftercare programs such as grief ministry are available through many parishes

Funeral Help

Coming Soon

Cremation Help

Coming Soon

Cemetery Help

We believe in providing our families packaged pricing so that they have a complete understanding of the charges and costs associated with completing cemetery burial services. Many cemeteries quote families the price of a burial plot along with the endowment care charge while excluding the other significant fees. We believe this can be misleading as some families erroneously believe that the other cemetery is less expensive or that they have paid for their services in full, only to have a loved one find out that there are additional charges.

The following tips and hints are intended to help you to understand the nature and breakdown of the pricing associated with end-of-life services, allowing you to make informed decisions with complete confidence.

Important Facts About Pricing

6 Components of Price Comparison for Grave (in-ground) Burials
All “in ground” graves contain 6 basic elements that determine their total costs. These components include costs necessary for cemetery burial. When “shopping” for prices, it is important to include all these components. Often a price is quoted for just a “grave” or “plot” and only includes the physical space. At first glance, this quote can appear to be a bargain but may be incomplete and misleading.

If researching prices for burial, make certain the price includes ALL of the following elements to determine the final, actual cost to you:

1. Physical Space – The cost quoted for the physical parcel of ground to be opened for burial.
2. Endowment Care – The fee placed into trust to maintain the cemetery in the future.  It covers costs such as mowing, watering, repairing/replacing roads, vases, etc.
3. Labor – The cost for labor related to opening (digging) the grave, waiting while the service takes place, lowering the casket at the end of the service, and closing the grave (replacing the burial vault lid, the earth and the grass).
4. Recordation Fee – The administrative costs and record keeping.
5. Burial box/vault – Now required by most cemeteries.  The casketed remains are placed into a wood, concrete box or sealer vault.
6. Memorialization – This includes monuments, markers, and setting fee.

By verifying the prices quoted to you are comprehensive, there will be no financial “surprises” after you have selected the cemetery for your family’s needs.

5 Components of Price Comparisons for Above-Ground Entombments in Crypts

1. Physical Space – The cost quoted for the physical crypt in an outdoor or indoor building.  It includes the cost of the marble or granite “shutter” which covers the crypt opening.
2. Endowment Care – The fee placed into trust to maintain the cemetery in the future.  It covers costs such as repairing/replacing roads, maintaining the buildings, restrooms, carpeting, vases, etc.
3. Labor – The cost for the labor related to opening the crypt, taking down the marble to be inscribed, waiting while the service takes place, placing the casket into the crypt at the end of the service, sealing the crypt and rehanging the marble shutter.
4. Inscription and vase – The cost for inscribing the name onto the marble or granite shutter.  Emblems and photos are optional and are an additional cost.
5. Casket protector may also be necessary.

6 Components of Price Comparisons for Cremation Burials and Entombments

1. Physical Space – The cost quoted for the physical site to be opened for burial, whether it is a cremation grave, niche or crypt.
2. Endowment Care – The fee placed into trust to maintain the cemetery in the future.  It covers costs such as mowing, watering, repairing/replacing roads, maintaining the buildings, restrooms, carpeting, vases, etc.
3. Labor – The cost for labor related to opening the grave, niche or crypt, waiting while the service takes place, placing the urn into the grave, niche or crypt, and closing the grave, niche or crypt.
4. Urn burial box/vault – Now required by most cemeteries.  The urn containing the cremated remains is placed into a fiberglass (or other material) box.  If going into a niche or crypt, this is not needed.
5. Memorialization – Includes monuments, markers, setting fees or inscriptions on shutters.
6. Urn – the container that holds the cremated remains. An urn may be purchased for an additional cost and can be personalized.

Understanding Key Terminology

The following terms are defined as follows:

Right of Interment: Grave, Crypt of Niche purchases under the agreement are for interment or entombment rights only. The Right of Interment is not for any real property ownership or value as locations are intended for interment/entombment only and are not for resale or profit. In no case shall plot-holder have any right to sell, exchange or in any manner except as hereinafter provided, dispose of said grave or any part thereof or any right to interest therein or any use of said grave.

Recordation Fee: The administrative costs and record keeping.

Endowment Care: A one-time Endowment Care fee is charged at the time you purchase a grave, crypt or niche. The money is placed in a special trust fund, the proceeds of which are used to cover future maintenance costs throughout the cemetery (including mowing, watering, repairing/replacing roads, vases, etc.)

Burial Vault (Lawn Crypt): The casketed remains are placed into a wood, concrete box or sealer vault before ground burial.

Memorial: This includes monuments, markers, and setting fee.

Burial Fee: The cost for labor related to opening (digging) the grave, waiting while the service takes place, lowering the casket at the end of the service, and closing the grave (replacing the burial vault lid, the earth and the grass).

Financial Assistance Through the Mother Teresa Fund

Funeral and cemetery assistance program serving families in need in our community.

Mother Teresa was a luminous messenger of God's love who is well noted for her charity, compassion and courage. Everyday she went into her community to find and serve Him in the "unwanted, the unloved and the uncared for." She founded the Missionaries of Charity, which continue to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the poor and ensure that her charitable spirit lives on.

Mother Teresa firmly believed that love begins at home and that we should reach out to those in need in our family first, then our community, our country and our world. It is in this spirit that CFCS created the Mother Teresa Fund. A fund that allows the poor and destitute in our community to receive sacred and dignified funeral, cremation and cemetery services.

If you have any questions on how to assure the best possible value for yourself or a loved one, please call and speak with a customer care representative.