Our Lady of Grace expands cemetery in Middletown

Our Lady of Grace Parish Cemetery, one of the largest cemeteries in Lower Bucks County, is expanding with a new building that will serve as the final resting place for cremated remains.

The parish, which is based in Penndel, broke grown on the St. Ann & St. Joachim Columbarium in a ceremony Monday at the Catholic cemetery off the Route 1 Super Highway in Middletown, where over 37,000 are already buried.

The cemetery, which dates back to 1959, accommodates in-ground burials and includes mausoleums. It can accommodate over 40,000 burials, officials said.

The new building will house 468 niches, each capable of holding two urns, according to the church. The addition aims to provide more options for families choosing cremation.

Cremation is increasingly popular in North America, with the U.S. reaching a 60.6% rate in 2023, according to the Cremation Association of North America. Projections for 2028 show these numbers rising to 65.3%. The trend is driven by affordability, greater mobility, and evolving societal norms, according to the group that has tracked trends for 25 years.

Timeline for new columbarium in Middletown

"Our goal is to have it completed by late fall. It has been in the planning for three years," said John Teason, a management representative at the cemetery. Officials hold that the building will be fully operational by November.

The parish will also add two new roads at the cemetery to improve access.

Pre-sales for the columbarium niches will begin July 17, with information sessions scheduled for the same day at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Grace School on Hulmeville Avenue in Penndel.

Currently, the cost of a burial space at Our Lady of Grace Cemetery varies. In-ground burial plots start at approximately $2,000, while niches in the existing columbarium are priced around $1,500 each.