For the mutual protection and benefit of lot owners, the following Rules and Regulations have been adopted by the La Crosse Catholic Cemetery Association, located at 519 Losey Blvd. South, La Crosse, WI 54601. All lot owners and visitors within the cemeteries and all lots sold shall be subject to said Rules and Regulations, and subject to other Rules and Regulations’ amendments or alterations as shall be adopted from time to time.

The Catholic Cemetery, like a church, is a religious place and should be considered a sacred place where in the mortal remains of the faithful departed dwell while awaiting the glorious resurrection of the body. The Catholic Cemetery should be identifiable as a sacred place, and care should be given to the cemetery both in the external signs that are used and in the care of the grounds. The Superintendent of the cemetery shall see to it that the memorials, inscriptions and ornamentation of the memorials are in keeping with the teachings of the Catholic faith, and all church and civil laws concerning the administration of the cemeteries are observed. The superintendent of the cemetery has been and will be appointed by the La Crosse Catholic Cemetery Association Inc. with the approval of the Diocesan Bishop.

Two separate funds are to be established for each cemetery, a cemetery operating fund and a perpetual care fund.

  1. Cemetery Operating Funds are gifts to the cemetery fund that are not designated for perpetual care, annual interest from perpetual care fund and monies from the sale of the lots in excess of that designated for perpetual care and/or monies for the opening and closing of graves and any other type of sales comprise this fund.
  2. Perpetual Care Funds are gifts designated for perpetual care of the cemetery, and at least 15% of monies from the sale of all lots comprise this fund.

  1. Anyone wishing to purchase burial rights in our cemeteries, mausoleums, or columbarium shall contact the cemetery office.
  2. The cemetery does not sell physical property, but rather the purchaser becomes the holder of burial rights in that space(s).
  3. A certificate of Right of Burial will be presented to the purchasers of lot(s) that have been paid for in full.
  4. No person shall have burial rights in any space unless his/her name appears in the cemetery records. A burial right owner may designate a space to another party, but this is not a transfer of burial right ownership.
  5. Upon the death of the burial right holder, direct legal heirs should assure that the cemetery records show the proof of transfer of burial rights, according to Wisconsin State Statutes 157.10, when original owner of the burial space or lot die and is buried there, any remaining burial spaces (burial rights) pass equally to all direct heirs. No burials or designations/assignments for future use of remaining burial rights may be made without the written permission of all heirs: or if all heirs have agreed to transfer ownership of right of burial to a single heir.
  6. If the purchaser of the right of burial wishes not to use the spaces purchased, he/she may sell the right of burial in two ways.
    1. The purchaser can advertise them some way, but before the sale is final it must be approved by the superintendent of the cemetery. If approved the cemetery will charge a fee for the transfer of the right of burial.
    2. The purchaser may request the cemetery to assist him/her with the sale of spaces, however the holder will only receive what the purchase price was for the spaces.
  7. It remains the right and Christian duty of the cemetery board to make special arrangements and adjust prices to accommodate the poor and destitute, unknown people, or multiple victims of a disaster to ensure the dignity and care of all human remains.

  1. Burial vaults are required for all full casket ground interments and also for all cremation ground inurnments.
  2. All interments and entombments must provide 48 hour notice to the cemetery before the burial is to take place.
  3. The cemetery only allows one burial (whether traditional or cremation) per space.
  4. The cemetery personnel are the only persons permitted to open or fill graves, exhume and reinter bodies.

Memorials for gravesites may be placed in The Catholic Cemetery/Gate of Heaven Cemetery/French Island Cemetery as follows:

  1. All burial rights must be paid in full before any memorial may be placed. Only one marker is allowed for each grave.
  2. An above ground monument is allowed on some 2, 3 and 4 grave lots.
  3. Above ground monuments must follow the sizes listed with each cemetery.
  4. Cemetery management must be contacted by the memorial dealer prior to any monument or marker be placed. The cemetery will verify size of memorial, correct location and then will issue approval to the memorial dealer.

  1. At the Catholic and French Island Cemeteries floral arrangements must be placed in a 14″ pottery pot on a stand.
  2. At Gate of Heaven Cemetery the only floral arrangements permitted on the lots are to be contracted with the cemetery.
  3. April 1st through September 31st decorations are not permitted on the ground, (only exceptions are 1 week for Memorial Day, decorations may be placed Memorial Day weekend and must be removed the Sunday following Memorial Day. The second would be for a special occasion Re: birthday, anniversary, etc. for one week.) Anything left after stated times will be removed and discarded.
  4. October 1st through March 31st decorations are allowed on the ground. Anything not removed by March 31st will be removed and discarded.
  5. Funeral flowers will be removed at the discretion of the cemetery when they no longer look nice.
  6. Shephards hooks and solar lights are not permitted at any time!

These rules and regulations may change from time to time without notice.

Lot Holder Rights

Graves and crypts are conveyed by an easement which gives the purchaser not direct ownership, but an exclusive and permanent right of use. Upon the death of the purchaser, ownership rights automatically descend to direct blood heirs equally unless the rights are specifically assigned to a particular heir. The spouse of the original purchaser always has a dower right of burial ahead of other heirs. Where a non-blood heir is to be buried, permission of other blood heirs is required. This should be done in advance of need and placed on file at the cemetery.