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Cemetery Rules and Regulations

Office Hours
The Office is open Monday - Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Appointments
To avoid unnecessary waiting, please telephone for an appointment before coming to the cemetery office; whether making funeral arrangements, pre-need arrangements, or selecting a memorial.

Visitation
Cemetery grounds are open every day of the year from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. standard time and from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. during daylight savings time. Parking is available along all paved roads in the cemetery, except where otherwise posted.

Burial Services
Will be held at graveside, weather permitting, unless other arrangements have been made through our office. Entombment Services: Will be held at cryptside. Chapel or Mausoleum committals are available upon request and during inclement weather. Availability of the Chapel, Mausoleum, or outdoor Pavilion for the committal service is subject to the scheduling of other committal services.

Internment Scheduling
All in-ground interments must begin by 2:30 p.m. Therefore, no burials will be scheduled past 2:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. All niche interments must begin by 3:00 p.m.
Saturdays: There is an additional charge for Saturday interments.
Sundays: There are no burials.

Memorialization:
Marker (headstone) and inscription orders may only be arranged and approved by the recorded owner, or person(s) acting as such. Orders will be forwarded for production only when all cemetery charges have been paid in full. (Delivery will take several weeks after the order is placed). The Cemetery management reserves the right to approve all memorial designs prior to setting. (See Memorial Agreement)

Veteran Burial Benefit
The Veterans Administration as a current benefit provides a military marker for the deceased veteran. We will assist you in ordering this marker, and in filing for other burial benefits (based on eligibility), when we have received a copy of the deceased veteran's Honorable Discharge record (Form DD-214), and the account has been paid in full. If an estate is involved, the executor must file the claim.

Community Effort
Gate of Heaven Cemetery personnel is committed to providing the care and maintenance befitting the resting places of the deceased and will make every effort to fulfill this responsibility. To achieve the beauty you expect in sacred burial grounds, we respectfully request your assistance. In order to be fair to everyone, reasonable regulations have been established. Please respect your neighbor's grave, as you would want your own respected. Contribute to the neatness of the cemetery by using the flower-disposal receptacles for emptying vases and disposing of trash.

Pets
Pets must be on a leash. Please pick up after them.

Grave Decorations
Gate of Heaven Cemetery is not responsible for any decorations left on or around any grave. All decorations shall be removed from each burial section on the specified day of the week for grounds maintenance.

Crypt and Niche Decorations
Fresh flower bouquets or artificial flowers can be placed in outdoor crypt/niche vases. We would prefer artificial silk type flowers indoors. They do not require water, which can do damage to the carpets and do not attract insects.

Grave Maintenance
Cemetery personnel are responsible for the general appearance of the grounds and shall remove all items, which can be hazardous and detract from the neatness and beauty of the cemetery. The cemetery is not responsible for these items. Please refrain from planting flowers, trees or shrubs; and from cutting, watering or fertilizing the lawns. This conflicts with the cemetery maintenance program, often resulting in more harm than good.

Holiday Decorations
Potted plants and appropriate decorations not exceeding two feet in height are permitted for one week after Easter, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day, All Souls Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. All decorations must be placed within the area of the marker frame. Please refer to each section's Regulation Sign. Holiday schedules are available at the office.

A Monthly Memorial Mass is celebrated in the All Saints Chapel at 11:00 a.m. on the SECOND Saturday of each month, in memory of all the departed.

All Souls Day Mass is celebrated in the All Saints Chapel at 11:00 a.m. Please see the posted information, or call the cemetery office for the specific date of this Mass.

Memorial Day Mass
An outdoor concelebrated Mass takes place each year at 11:00 a.m. on the MONDAY that is observed as the holiday. We suggest that you bring folding chairs or suitable ground cloth.

Thank you for complying with the regulations of the cemetery.
Copyright © 2006 Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of San Jose