Every cemetery tells the story of a community. Names etched in stone speak of lives lived, families loved, and faith carried from one generation to the next. Yet in recent years, a troubling reality has quietly emerged across many communities: more and more people are dying without the means to secure a permanent and dignified place of rest.
Funeral homes increasingly encounter situations where families simply cannot afford burial. Cremation may be chosen as the least costly option, but even then, many families struggle to provide a permanent place of interment. As a result, cremated remains are sometimes left unclaimed, stored indefinitely, or kept in temporary situations without the reverence that every human life deserves.
Holy Family Cemetery witnessed this growing need firsthand.
As caretakers of sacred ground and stewards of the Church’s burial tradition, the cemetery recognized that something had to be done. The dignity of the human person does not end at death, and the Christian tradition has always insisted that the faithful departed be laid to rest with reverence, prayer, and hope in the resurrection.
From this conviction, Project Lazarus was born.
Named after the Gospel account in which Christ calls Lazarus forth from the tomb, Project Lazarus is a charitable burial apostolate dedicated to ensuring that no one is denied a dignified and permanent place of rest due to financial hardship.
At the heart of the project is a communal ossuary located within Holy Family Cemetery. This sacred structure provides a permanent resting place where cremated remains may be reverently interred when families cannot afford traditional burial arrangements. Each interment is conducted with dignity and respect, ensuring that those entrusted to our care are laid to rest within consecrated ground.
But Project Lazarus is about more than simply providing a burial space.
It is a commitment to mercy.
It is a reminder that every human life has value, regardless of wealth or circumstance.
It is a witness to the belief that even those who die in poverty or obscurity deserve the same reverence afforded to all of God’s children.
Through the generosity of funeral homes, families, and community supporters, Project Lazarus helps ensure that the forgotten are not forgotten. Instead of being left without a final resting place, they are entrusted to sacred ground where their memory is honored and their dignity preserved.
In this way, the project reflects one of the Church’s oldest spiritual traditions: the corporal works of mercy, among which is the sacred duty to bury the dead.
Project Lazarus is a living expression of that ancient calling.
Each contribution made to the project helps extend this work of compassion, allowing Holy Family Cemetery to continue providing reverent interment for those who might otherwise have none.
In the end, Project Lazarus stands as a simple but profound promise to our community:
That no person will be forgotten.
That every life will be honored.
And that every person entrusted to our care will receive a dignified and permanent place of rest.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Resurrection Partner — $2,500
Recognition as a Founding Resurrection Partner, including:
Just six Resurrection Partners will fully fund the annual goal.
Works of Mercy Contributor — $1,000
Compassion Partner — $500
In Memory or In Honor Gifts - $100
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