Make your plans with peace, clarity & faith

Pre-planning your burial arrangements is a thoughtful act of love—for yourself and for those you care about. The Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Rockford offers pre-need planning services so you can make important decisions long before they are needed.

For Catholics, pre-planning helps to ensure burial in consecrated ground, following the Church’s teachings on dignity, remembrance, and the promise of resurrection.

Catholic Guidance for Planning Ahead

The Church teaches that Christian burial is an act of faith and hope. Burial in a Catholic cemetery:

  • Respects the dignity of the human body
  • Provides a resting place in sacred, consecrated ground
  • Ensures the Rite of Committal is celebrated according to Catholic tradition
  • Affirms the belief in the Communion of Saints and the resurrection of the body

Pre-planning helps ensure these sacred traditions are honored.

Why Pre-Planning Matters

  • Making your plans in advance reduces emotional and financial stress on loved ones at your time of passing
  • Pre-Planning ensures your wishes are understood and honored
  • Planning ahead gives families the space to make faith-centered decisions
  • Advanced planning allows you to select burial and memorial options thoughtfully and without urgency

headstones & monuments

In addition to pre-need services for burial spaces and vaults, the Rockford Catholic Cemeteries provide full-service monument and headstone design, including customization, and same-day conceptual proofs during your consultation.

Our Difference

Rockford Catholic Cemeteries offers unique services, including:

  • Custom headstone and memorial design
  • Private Estates
  • Glass Cremation Niches
  • Pre-need sales for graves, niches, mausoleum spaces, vaults, and memorialization
  • 0% interest financing*

*Exclusions may apply

Ready to Start?

Contact Your Local Cemetery

We encourage families to reach out directly to their cemetery office to begin the conversation. Our team will walk you through your options and answer any questions.

Review Options with Guidance

A cemetery counselor will help you explore burial types, mausoleum or niche options, vaults, memorialization choices, and payment plans.

Finalize Your Arrangements

Once you’ve selected your choices, you can set up a zero-interest* pre-need contract and secure your plans for the future.

Begin Your Pre-Need Planning Today

Planning ahead brings peace of mind and protects your loved ones from making difficult decisions during a time of grief. Contact your local cemetery office to speak with a counselor and begin the pre-planning process.