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You don’t have to tell Joan Gecik that weddings are huge affairs. Getting ready for the big day can take a year or more, she said. She wishes, though, that everyone would spend more time preparing for a day that’s just as monumental: the day they meet God … Read More

To get the full story, you must go back to the Sunday picnics. Without knowing it, Joan Gecik has been preparing for her new job as executive director of The Catholic Cemeteries her entire life ­— personally and professionally. But the first notable influence came in early childhood … Read More

A Catholic cemetery in Mendota Heights is among the first in the state to offer “green” burials, free of chemicals and concrete.

“It’s how I’ve always wanted to be buried,” Catholic Cemeteries director Joan Gecik said. “I just love the idea of being able to go back into the earth.” … Read More

After his funeral Mass, Schweigert, 67, wants to be placed directly in the ground, wrapped only in cloth, with little of the funeral trappings many people have come to expect.

And The Catholic Cemeteries plans to be ready to accommodate him.… Read More

Phyllis Strong, who worked in pollution control for the state of Minnesota, looks forward to The Catholic Cemeteries starting natural burial at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights June 1.

“I had looked at a lot of different natural burial options, and so at Resurrection … it incorporates the Catholic faith view that you bury the remains … in blessed ground,” said Strong, 71, a member of St. Louis King of France in St. Paul.… Read More

In my years of service as a priest and bishop, I have always welcomed the opportunity each Memorial Day to schedule a Mass or service of remembrance in one of our Catholic cemeteries. They are moments not only to recall the heroic selflessness of those who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of our country, but also to recall more broadly our ongoing connection with those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.… Read More