Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral parish has shared plans for a new cemetery project, designed as an extension and unifying element of the cathedral campus and the Diocese of Raleigh’s faithful, both living and departed. The cemetery will provide space for in-ground burial, include columbaria for cremated remains and will also include up to four mausoleums, the first of those available in the diocese.
With concept design and construction documents now complete, the parish aims to begin construction in late 2025 or early 2026. The project will unfold in two planned phases, with a potential third phase depending on future needs. Parish leaders have been hosting meetings at the parish center, where visitors can view pictures, ask questions, and even make reservations for burial plots.
“Think of the first preface of funeral Masses – ‘life is changed, not ended,’” said Msgr. David Brockman, pastor and rector of Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral parish. “The cemetery symbolizes the continuity between the living and the departed, that even in death, we are united as a diocesan family as the mystical Body of Christ, the Church.”
The cemetery’s design, led by Jim O’Brien of O’Brien & Keane — the firm behind the design and construction of the cathedral itself — mirrors the cathedral’s aesthetics and blends seamlessly into the landscape.
“The eastward orientation of the cemetery, or ad orientem, aligns with the cathedral’s design, symbolizing the resurrection and the rising new light of day,” said Monsignor Brockman.
Taking advantage of an elevation change from Price Street to Crusader Drive, the layout nestles into a hillside, creating additional in-ground space on the lower level and an upper level accessible by stairs.
Plans also include sacred art installations throughout the cemetery grounds and a dedicated section where children who have died as infants may be laid to rest, offering solace to grieving parents. Additionally, embodying the preferential option for the poor, there are also provisions for those in financial need to ensure accessibility to a place among the Life of the Church.
“It is a beautiful act of faith as God’s people in this local Church,” said Msgr. Brockman. “Having those who’ve gone before us nearby, reminds us to pray for them, helping reconcile anything that separates them from God’s full embrace and also a reminder of their prayer in eternity for us.
To learn more about the parish cemetery, please visit https://www.raleighcathedral.org/cemetery, or if you prefer, contact Cathedral parish staff member Janet Berlin at berlin@hnojnc.org to discuss next steps. You may also reference on the website cemetery FAQs and space pricing as well as a reservation form for plots, niches and mausolea crypt spaces and an aerial map as to location of the spaces that are still currently available.
