Purpose
To support the organized administration of interactions among leadership, clients, visitors, and outside vendors. This document, developed with the support of leading cemetery attorneys in the United States, provides a comprehensive collection of cemetery rules and regulations that protect the cemetery, the parish, the diocese, workers, volunteers, contractors, and visitors.

Audience
The primary audience is those who administer parish cemeteries within a diocese, whose responsibility is to understand and ensure proper use of these rules and regulations. Diocesan leaders with oversight responsibilities form an equal audience. A third audience includes national organizations whose members may be invited to contribute to the development of responsible administrative tools.

Content
A 100 page document offering far more than decoration policies. It includes uniform definitions to ensure clarity, general rules, rights of certificate holders, required items for interment, obligations for care and maintenance, contractor responsibilities, memorialization guidelines, mausoleum considerations, disinterment procedures, care of the poor, and temporary entombments. It is most effective when used uniformly across all cemeteries within a diocese. The manual supports legal compliance, safety, pastoral sensitivity, and consistent practice.