ST. FRANCIS AND ST. PATRICK CEMETERY RULES AND REGULATIONS

The following are rules and regulations, adopted by the Cemetery Board of St. Francis Xavier Parish and its Director, the Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Hyannis, Massachusetts for St. Francis Xavier Cemetery and St. Patrick’s Cemetery. 

VISITING

Parish Cemeteries are open to visitors seven days a week throughout the year. Visitors are requested to bear in mind that the cemeteries are consecrated to the memories of those who are buried within. Dignified behavior shall be required at all times. Anyone who violates these rules and regulations shall be required to leave the grounds.

SPECIAL PROHIBITIONS

Vehicles shall proceed cautiously but at no time shall they exceed 15 MPH in any Parish cemetery.

Use of any cemetery driveway as a thoroughfare shall be prohibited.

Parking is limited to driveways only.

Bicycling, horseback riding, motorcycling, skateboarding, or any other type of recreational sport or similar activity shall be prohibited.

Children under 14 are not permitted within cemeteries for any reason except when accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The disposal of flowers and other debris is prohibited except in receptacles provided by the Cemetery Maintenance team.

Animals of any type shall be prohibited except for those which provide assistance to a physically impaired person.

No grading or seeding shall be allowed other than by authorized maintenance personnel. No sod or ground shall be broken without specific authorization. 

No in-ground planting of any kind shall be permitted. No urns, flower boxes or fences, curbing, hedges, trees, shrubs or any other similar type of planting shall be placed around or planted upon any grave or lot in a parish cemetery. We reserve the right to remove any plantings that were placed in years gone by and have become overgrown.

No vigil light, crushed stone, or bark shall be placed around a monument or marker. Glass containers or ornaments of any type are prohibited and will be removed, should they be placed on any grave.

No signs or lettered wooden boards of any kind, other than those of the Cemetery Board, shall be allowed.

The Cemeteries’ staff may remove from cemetery lots anything it considers objectionable or injurious to the uses, purposes and uniform aesthetics of either cemetery, or in violation of any of the rules and regulations governing their operation. 

DECORATIVE ITEMS

Ground-level cemetery flower containers shall be permitted. Flowers in movable lined clay pots with a maximum of 12 inches in diameter shall be permitted.

Wreaths and Christmas greens shall be allowed from December 1 to February 1. Annual Flowers, properly secured, shall be allowed from May 1 to September 30. Donated plant material will only be allowed in designated memorial planting areas where available and upon approval. 

No fence, enclosure, curbing or steps shall be erected, no trees or shrubs are to be planted on or around any grave or lot. NO artificial flowers, statues, chairs, urns or glass vases are permitted.

Veterans’ flags and holders shall be allowed from May 23 to July 15 and are to be flush with the marker the front base of the grave monument and maintained in proper, presentable condition by the installer.

All items subject to restricted dates shall be removed by the bearer of the easement or responsible organization on or before the specified removal date. 

Flags which become faded, frayed or torn shall be removed and disposed of by the Cemeteries’ staff. Flag holders shall also be removed at the time the flag is removed and disposed of if not claimed within sixty (60) days. Other items shall be removed by the Cemeteries’ staff if, in their judgment, they have become wilted, decayed or unsightly.

Funeral floral arrangements shall be removed by Cemetery Maintenance personnel seven (7) days following their placement. Lot owners wishing to keep any part or all of the floral arrangement should retrieve them within the seven-day period.

The Cemeteries’ staff shall NOT BE responsible for damage to flowers, flags, containers or holders due to weather, vandalism, and theft or maintenance procedures.