Inscriptions are also available on the cenotaph for people whose remains are interred elsewhere, but whose families would like to remember them at the cathedral.

By Michele Jurich
Staff writer

They are phone calls with awkward pauses. Counselors at Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services have come to recognize them and respond empathetically.

People almost embarrassed to say I have this …

You mean an urn?

Sometimes, they don't know who is in the urn.

Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services — CFCS — offers at no cost to anyone, of any faith, the dignified committal of cremated remains in a community crypt at any of its seven cemeteries or at the Cathedral of Christ the Light Mausoleum.

The Holy Angels Crypt program is "probably one of the most popular outreach, not only to the Catholic community, but to the community at large," said Eric Karleskind, family service counselor at the mausoleum at the cathedral.

"Nobody is refused space at a crypt of the Holy Angels," he said. The cremated remains are committed at no charge; the fee for the burial permit is paid by CFCS.

The committal in the community crypt can include a blessing from a priest, at the family's request. There is space remaining for hundreds of people.

The families gain some peace of mind. "I've seen great solace come over people," Karleskind said, "when they have a space to identify with that person."

The cremated remains can be disinterred from the crypt at no cost. Some families may have some indecision about a final resting place for a loved one; or one spouse has died before the other, and the family would prefer to inter them together at one time.

Cathedral of Christ the Light Mausoleum 2121 Harrison St., Oakland Contact: Eric Karleskind, Family Service Counselor Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services 510-496-7271 Mausoleum Crypts: 1,300 Niches: 1,850

The Crypt of the Holy Angels can be a temporary resting place. "It is a way for us to safeguard the remains," he said.

For a $1,000 tax-deductible donation, the name of a person can be inscribed on the cenotaph. (Inscription at one of the other cemeteries carries a $250 tax-deductible fee.)

Inscriptions are also available on the cenotaph for people whose remains are interred elsewhere, but whose families would like to remember them at the Cathedral of Christ the Light. "They can be remembered here," Karleskind said. "For some people, it means a lot to know they're remembered, somewhere on something," he said.

Inurnment in the Holy Angels Crypt can meet a family's needs. Karleskind recalled a woman who was arranging the funeral for her mother, who had told her to not spend much money on her funeral. The mother had chosen cremation. Her daughter tried to be true to her mother's wishes, avoiding even the cost of opening the double plot her mother had already owned. The Holy Angels crypt in one of the Catholic cemeteries provided her with the opportunity to fulfill her obligation to her mother's wishes.

"This was the best way to do it," Karleskind said.

At his office in the Cathedral Mausoleum, Karleskind does mostly preplanning, not a lot of at-need arrangements.

There have been about 100 interments since 2008. There is a fair market value assigned to each space in the mausoleum; the cost above that is a tax-deductible contribution to the diocese.

Preplanning can alleviate the burden for surviving spouse, Karleskind said. "They, themselves, can control the costs," he said. "At time of need, people can make emotional decisions that are not practical for the family.

"Even in the best of circumstances, it's hard," he said. "They're in total shock." There may be regrets later of what they might have arranged differently.

Additionally, it is a way to ensure that one's last wishes, including one for a Catholic funeral, are carried out.

With pre-planning, with 10 percent down, for example, CFCS can provide interest-free financing for 36 to 60 months.

Because the CFCS is a ministry of the Diocese of Oakland, proceeds from its service go back to support other ministries.

One way the proceeds are used to assist the poor is through the Mother Teresa Fund, which assists families of the poor, destitute and victims of violent crimes receive dignified funeral and cemetery services.

"Ours is a ministry of beginning the discussion, to help people through this journey we all have to face," Karleskind said.

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