“Blest are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Mt 5:4)
Bishop Jaime Soto, joined by dozens of priests, deacons and laity, dedicated and blessed the new mortuary and Resurrection Chapel at Calvary Cemetery and Funeral Center during a special Mass on March 22.
“We dedicate this space to always be a place of reverence for all who come here looking for the solace of the church,’ Bishop Soto said. “Our prayers and our rituals, and this very building itself are a reflection of the divine liturgy that goes on eternally in heaven.”
The new funeral center is located at 7101 Verner Ave. in Citrus Heights. The 21,000-square-foot full-service facility will serve parishes and Catholic community members throughout the Sacramento metropolitan area.
Several years in planning and development, the state-of-the-art facility includes the beautiful chapel for services, a reception hall for families to gather, and glass niches which are illuminated by the soft tone of stained glass windows. Calvary also offers meeting spaces located throughout the funeral center, a memorialization selection room, and a cutting-edge care center to provide care and serve to those who walk through its doors.
Jerry Del Core, president and CEO of Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services, said that work on the project started immediately after the opening of St. Mary Funeral Center in 2016. Calvary Funeral Center “will allow us to serve more families as we share the Catholic rites of Christian funeral and cemetery services,” he noted. “What makes us most unique is that we can help a family with their loved one without ever leaving our care. Our goal is to serve families in need of consolation and help them celebrate the life of their loved one.”
The $10 million project was built by Jackson Construction, with JST Architects as the project architect.
The growth of funeral centers can be attributed to the rising numbers of deaths worldwide. In addition, the introduction of a wide range of services such as arranging ceremonies, prayers, and burial or cremation facilities, providing counseling to people, and post-funeral services are growth contributors.
Calvary Cemetery opened its gates in 1953 as part of the Diocese of Sacramento. Seventy years later, Calvary Cemetery and Funeral Center continues to offer families the ability to arrange care for all their funeral, mortuary, cremation and cemetery needs in one central location.
For more information, visit www.cfcssacramento.org or call 916-726-4821.