Our Cemetery
The Catholic Cemetery is a holy place. It is blessed by the Church and dedicated to God as a place of worship, prayer, and reflection upon Divide Truth and the purpose of life. It is the resting place until the day of Resurrection for the bodies of the Faithful Departed, once temples of the Holy Spirit, whose souls are now with God. It is a final and continuing profession of faith in God and of membership in the Church by those who have chosen to be buried with fellow believers of the “The Household of the Faith.”Â
Calvary Cemetery rests on 21.92 acres of land west of Lexington and located down the street from the Bishop’s office. In addition to organizing the funeral arrangements, we provide a “Good Grief” library that houses books and DVDs to comfort those who mourn during this time.
Our office hours are 9:00 am till 4:00 pm Monday – Friday . We suggest you call or fill out the form below to schedule an appointment.
Our gates are open for visitation and walking to the public from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Sunday – Saturday except in extreme inclement weather.Â
Our Story
Calvary Cemetery was not the first Catholic Cemetery in Fayette County. In 1865, the Old Third Street Cemetery had been established and was associated with St. Paul Parish. However, it was subsequently closed and, between 1875 and 1893, many of those interred were moved to the New Cemetery.
It was first consecrated on January 14, 1874 when the Bishop of Covington, Rev. A. M. Toebbe, obtained 20 acres on West Main Street for $325 an acre. The first recorded interment, Thomas Cronin, took place on April 6, 1875. Since then, over 12,000 souls have chosen Calvary Cemetery as their final resting place. The gate house and office were built with the same doors, windows, and bricks from the home of Robert and Ann Parker, parents of Mary Todd Lincoln in 1887.
The name was changed to Calvary Cemetery in September 1921. In the following year, the Stewart Iron Works Co. based out of Northern Kentucky implemented the six-foot iron fence along the West Main Street. In 1973, the Holy Innocents Garden was dedicated in the memory of babies who suffered stillborn deaths.
Frequently Asked Questions
One does not have to be Catholic to be buried in a Catholic cemetery. “We know that one selects a final resting place that reflects the beliefs and values from their own life’s personal journey. The Catholic cemetery provides a resting place that is sacred and shared with all fellow pilgrims awaiting resurrection of the dead and the promise of life everlasting.” (The Catholic Cemeteries)
An urn or an urn vault are not required. Many families choose to rent an urn or urn vault for the service, but then actually bury the utility urn from the crematory.
Calvary does not allow green burials. We strongly recommend you to view our primary options of internment: burial, cremation, and mausoleum.
If you preplan with a funeral home, they build-in the cost of burial into the planning, but the fee itself cannot be paid ahead of time to the Cemetery.
If the casket has already been placed, an urn can be buried afterwards using what is called the Second Right of Interment.
The burial of pets is not permitted at Calvary because the facility is not licensed.
The Catholic Church does not allow for the scattering of cremains or keeping part of someone’s cremains. The Catholic Church calls for the “reverent disposition of the body”, whether a full-body burial or cremation burial.
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