Creating a cemetery monument, marker or headstone is an important responsibility. The design should fit your loved one’s legacy. Our Memorial Design Specialists ensure every design carries a tradition of faith and love.
The Catholic Monument Design Center partners with America’s finest memorial craftsmen to deliver a memorial that will express your family’s legacy for centuries.
A headstone (or gravestone) is a carefully selected piece of cut and polished granite that often marks a ground burial. It sits at the head of a grave space and can memorialize a single person or celebrate the lives of two or more people. You can personalize a headstone with names, dates, symbols, illustrations and more.
Cemetery monuments consist of an upright granite die resting on a granite base. A concrete foundation supports the monument. Each cemetery section may have specific rules and regulations pertaining to memorials. Monument sizes are determined by the number of graves in the lot.
The Catholic Monument Design Center is the exclusive Rock of Ages dealer for the capital region. Rock of Ages Monuments guarantees their handcrafted granite monuments with a perpetual warranty. Look for the Rock of Ages SEALMARK™.
Bronze memorial markers are installed on a granite base and set flush with the surface of the ground. Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, with about 12% tin. This alloy is more durable than copper alone. Over the years, bronze develops a greenish patina, which actually protects the memorial from deterioration.
At the Catholic Monument Design Center, we can design a wide variety of bronze markers with many customizable options. You can choose a simple design to match a veterans administration marker, a custom design that includes actual photographs, or anything in-between.
The Blessing of the Headstone is an opportunity to gather in prayer at the grave. The Order of Blessing, led by a cemetery staff member, begins with an opening prayer. There is a Gospel reading and responsorial psalm. A family member is invited to offer a brief reflection. After the Litany of Saints, those present trace a cross on the headstone with holy water. Albany Diocesan Cemeteries offers this service at no charge. This service is also appropriate for anniversaries or birthdays.
