On the feast of The Ascension of our Lord, June 13th 2024, Archbishop Daniel of Chicago consecrated our new cemetery.

The cemetery of Holy Ascension Orthodox Church nows offers a sacred place for the burial of Orthodox Christians.  It is located at our property north of Albion, Michigan, at 13526 29 Mile Road, which is also the location of our planned new temple.  Our cemetery allows us to bury parishioners and other Orthodox Christians without the expensive and unnecessary requirements (vaults, embalming, etc) of municipality-owned cemeteries.  We envision it as a place of beauty:  trails, pathways, stone walls, a lychgate, benches, and gardens will be added as we continue to develop it.  Currently (as of Sept 2024) we have about 240 plots available, with a total over 1000 planned once the rest of the ground is cleared and made ready.

In November of 2023, even before the cemetery was ready, we laid our first parishioner to rest here.   Her headstone was placed in October of 2024.

Please read below for an overview of regulations governing reservation, burial, and maintenance.

 

Who may be buried in the cemetery?

Members of Holy Ascension Orthodox Church or other Orthodox Christians from other canonical Orthodox parishes may be buried in the cemetery.   We ask those who would like to reserve a plot, but are not members of Holy Ascension Orthodox Church, to submit a Parish Membership Certification when requesting a plot.   Non-Orthodox spouses may also be buried in this cemetery. A special section of the cemetery will be reserved for the burial (at no cost) of miscarried and stillborn infants of Orthodox Christian parents.  Cremated remains may not be buried in the cemetery.

How do I reserve a plot?

Along with the parish membership certification, please fill out a Plot Reservation Form (a unique form is required for each plot reserved) and email a scanned copy to , or mail them to the Holy Ascension Cemetery Guild using our mailing address from the CONTACT tab.

A fee of $1,000 is due at the time of reservation for the purchase of the plot.  This fee is refundable if the plot reservation is cancelled.  This cost provides for the perpetual care of the burial plot.

At the time of death, an additional burial cost will incur for the burial itself.  This cost may be paid at the time the plot is reserved, or it may be paid at the time of death.  The current burial cost is $1,000 and is subject to inflation.  A burial cost paid in advance is refundable if the plot reservation is cancelled.

Plot reservation fees and burial costs may be made online at this link or sent by check to the mailing address from the CONTACT tab.  Please make checks payable to “Holy Ascension Orthodox Church” and put “cemetery reservation” in the memo line.

May I select the location of my plot?

Yes, you may reserve a specific plots within the cemetery.  If you wish to reserve multiple plots for spouses, children, or other family members to be buried together, it is prudent to make those reservations at the same time, as unreserved adjacent plots may be reserved by others.

A map of available plots is periodically updated and is available here.

Can a reserved plot be cancelled?

Yes, a plot may be cancelled by notifying the Cemetery Guild.  At cancellation, the plot fee and the burial fee (if paid in advance) will be refunded to the reservee.

For how long is a plot reserved?

The Cemetery Guild will retain plots in reservation until the plot holder reaches the age, per our records, of 115.  If at that time we have not heard from the reservee or their next of kin, we will assume that other arrangements have been made and the plot will be forfeited.  In this case, plot fees and burial fees (if paid in advance) will not be refunded.

What kind of caskets are permitted?

Any type of casket or coffin is permitted so long as it is no wider than 35 inches from handle to handle and no longer than 7.5 feet.   We recommend Orthodoxcaskets.com, a local business run by some of our parishioners.   Using their caskets means that you will not have to worry about shipping the caskets since they are local.   If you are using a funeral home, they will allow you to use your own casket if you tell them that you already have one – you are NOT required to purchase a casket from a funeral home. 

The deceased may also be buried in a traditional burlap or other cloth shroud without a casket or coffin, if preferred.  The cemetery cannot accommodate cement burial vaults (which typically encase a casket in a conventional cemetery).

What kind of headstones are permitted?

At the time of burial, the Cemetery Guild will provide a temporary wooden cross, or you may provide your own, to mark the grave.

Permanent headstones must be provided by the family or next-of-kin.  They must be made of stone.  Headstones may be placed in advance of death at a reserved plot.  If the headstone is not installed before burial, please note that it may take several months after burial before the headstone may be installed, to allow the ground to settle from the burial of the deceased.

The Cemetery Guild will provide the cement foundation on which headstones are set.  Arrangements must be made between the monument manufacturer and the Cemetery Guild for an agreeable time to set the headstone.

Headstones must take the shape of a cross, a cross set upon a rectangle, or a simple rectangle or similar.  Headstones with a cross shape may be a maximum height of 5’6”.  Rectangular headstones may be a maximum height of 3’.  All headstones, regardless of shape, are limited to a width of 30” and a depth of 15”.  Up to 60” wide is allowed when it serves two plots.

Headstone designs must be approved by the Cemetery Guild before placement, and as such, it is advised that a rendering is sent to the Cemetery Guild for approval before the monument is carved.  All elements of the design are subject to the Cemetery Guild’s approval, but the following are general guidelines:

• No images are permitted except for crosses and iconography in the Orthodox Christian tradition.  Etchings or inset photographs of the deceased’s likeness are not permitted.
• Text is limited to name, identifying title (such as “husband,” “wife,” “son,” “daughter,”), birth and death date, and text from canonical Scripture and Orthodox Christian hymnody.

If a headstone is not provided for by the family or next of kin, we will attempt to reach out.  If no resolution is found, we will provide a simple permanent headstone.

A local provider of headstones we have worked with is Homer Monumental Works, 517-568-4432.

How may graves be decorated?

Grass will be seeded on top of each grave.  The length of the grave may not be outlined with stones, bricks, plants, or other materials.

Plants and flowers of a reasonable size may be planted in the ground near the headstone, buy should not overflow onto occupied neighboring plots.  Potted plants and flowers are permitted so long as the pot fits on the cement base of the headstone.

Vigil candles and lanterns with real flames are permitted.  Solar lamps, battery-operated lamps, and other artificial lights are not permitted.

All other decoration must be reasonable in size and in keeping with the beauty and order befitting an Orthodox Christian cemetery.

All decoration is subject to removal by the Cemetery Guild.  The Cemetery Guild will take reasonable measures to ensure the upkeep and beauty of the cemetery and all graves in perpetuity.

Forms & Links Summary:

• Plot Reservation Form
• Parish Membership Certification  (required for non-parishioners)
• Cemetery Plot Map
• Full Cemetery Regulations Document
• Payments for plots and burial expenses can be made at this link.
• Contact us:

Helpful Information

• Funeral Rights – Michigan residents can specifically designate someone (or a church) to have legal control of your body and funeral arrangements after death.  Learn more on our Members page.

• Orthodox Christian Burial – A Christian Ending:  A Handbook for Burial in the Ancient Christian Tradition gives an excellent introduction to the history of Orthodox burial and the practices we have adopted in our parish. There is also a corresponding podcast on ancientfaith.com.

• Caskets – Parishioners Peter and Amanda Shackelford are constructing beautiful, simple wooden caskets for purchase through their business Heartwood Caskets.  Visit orthodoxcaskets.com to learn more.

• Headstones – Our local headstone provider is Homer Monumental Works, 517-568-4432.

• Additional Costs – Please note that the costs here represent only the plot and interment expenses due to us.  You may wish to arrange any number of other services from a funeral director or provide them yourself.   The only legal requirements in the state of Michigan are:  A) a licensed funeral director or physician must file the death certificate, and B) a licensed funeral director must witness the interment.  These fees alone can be up to $1,000.  But all other tasks involving the preparation of the body,  transportation, etc, may be done by family or church members.  For more, see the book A Christian Ending above, or email us.