As we near Mother's Day, allow me to wish all the mothers a happy and blessed Mother's Day. Thank you for your care and tender love in all that you do. Your love is truly an earthly reflection of the love of God. I want to especially wish my mother a Happy Mother’s Day. She has been a mother for 66+ years and a grandmother for 32+ years! 

-Jerry Del Core

Calvary Funeral Center is Now Open!

You heard us talk about the coming Calvary Funeral Center for years. It probably felt like we talked about it for decades. It did not take quite that long, I promise. While after wading through months of planning, permitting, COVID, supply chain delays and more, Calvary Funeral Center officially opened on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.

The day started by presenting the building plans and keys to The Most Reverend Bishop Jaime Soto. This was followed by a procession into the beautiful new chapel. Bishop Soto presided over the blessing of our chapel and our funeral center, the consecration of our altar and led us in mass. Over 200 of the faithful were on hand led by many of our Pastors, Priests, and Deacons. The service was simply grand.

After the ceremonies, guests were treated to a reception and offered tours of the facility. The 21,000 square foot funeral center is the most beautiful, state of the art funeral home and mortuary in the greater Sacramento area. 

Catholic Funeral & Cemetery Services of the Diocese of Sacramento (CFCS) will operate both Calvary Funeral Center and Calvary Cemetery which offers full funeral, mortuary, cremation, and cemetery services. When you contact CFCS, you will have the opportunity to create the funeral and burial plan of your choice – all in one visit.

If you consider planning with us, know that CFCS employees are Catholics serving Catholics. We will take care of you and your family. If you trust a loved one into our care, know that they will be treated with the dignity and care they deserve. 

At Calvary Funeral Center, our halls greet you with a warm and welcoming environment where you can honor your loved ones and remember them in prayer and thought. Warmth shines through stained glass windows. Our arrangement rooms are comfortable and comforting. Dedicated spaces, like our chapel and reception hall, add dignity to the final journey as those whom we care for are honored and remembered. Our new funeral center aids in celebrating life through beauty and sacredness.

While I may be biased, I invite you to see for yourself. Schedule a private tour by calling 916.726.1232 or you can just stop by and ask for Michelle Valdez. She will take great care of you!

Directions: Calvary Cemetery and Funeral Center is located at 7101 Verner Avenue in Citrus Heights. Exit I-80 at Greenback. Take Greenback to Verner. Once on Verner, go 1 mile to the entrance of Calvary. 

Green Burial Council

Certified in Funeral

and Burial Services

I am pleased to announce that Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services of the Diocese of Sacramento has become the first Green Burial Council Certified provider of both Funeral and Burial Services in Diocese of Sacramento and the vast majority of Northern California. St. Mary Funeral Center, Calvary Funeral Center, All Souls Funeral Center and George L. Klumpp Chapel of Flowers are all Certified Funeral Service Providers and St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery in Rancho Murieta and St. Patrick Cemetery in Grass Valley are Certified Green Hybrid Cemeteries.

We decided to pursue these service offerings due to increased requests and inquiries for Green Burial at our various Parish Outreach events and due to the increased requests from families pre-planning for themselves as well as planning for their loved ones at the time of need. The reasons behind the interest in Green Burial were varied, crossed all political and economic spectrums and were not limited to specific geographic regions. Due to the widespread interest from the Catholic community, we determined we should undertake this effort to ensure we could meet the desire for Green Burial within our Community but to also do so in a manner that would still provide for all of the Catholic Rites of Christian Burial. Our staff worked diligently for months to create service offerings, for funerals and burials, that were “natural” and “green” but still met our requirements and criteria for Catholic services and maintained our sense of dignity and respect for the deceased and the temple that their body had been.

Individuals and families desiring “green” services can now have them with every service plan available from the Traditional Two-day Service with an open casket Vigil to a simple and dignified Graveside Service. All of our products from makeup to the casket or urn have been carefully selected by our staff to ensure the highest level of quality possible while still meeting all of the standards for Certification by the Green Burial Council.

The St. Francis of Assisi Burial Sections are now available at St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery in Rancho Murieta and St. Patrick Cemetery in Grass Valley. Both cemeteries were selected for this new Green Burial option due to the natural settings that they already provide. Traditional burial will still occur in both cemeteries but only Green Burial may occur within the St. Francis of Assisi sections. All caskets and urns must be 100% biodegradable, each grave is for one internment only, basic memorialization is allowed but only with California sourced granite and maintenance of the area is limited and intended to be in as natural a state as possible.

For more information about our Natural and Green Certified offerings, please visit our website or call any of our locations to speak with a Family Service Advisor.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter and that your Easter Season is off to a good start.

God Bless.

Martha Castro has served the people of the Diocese of Sacramento for over 20 years in Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services. Driven to provide the very best for her families and encouraged by her faith to accompany them, Martha serves with compassion, dedication, and love. Martha began her journey in ministry with CFCS at a time when the diocese was only providing burial services. Through her time she has seen many changes come about, from the expansion of the cemetery, the growth of CFCS, and the start of a new ministry in funeral services through the opening of St. Mary Funeral Center. Martha has served thousands of families as they give the gift of love and peace by planning ahead and as individuals reach the end of their earthly pilgrimage. Martha's call to comfort the sorrowful in her ministry through CFCS highlights the beauty in God's gift to her and through her to the entire CFCS family. We are grateful for her stewardship, passion for ministry, and love of serving others.

The tender touch of a mother is God's earthy gift to his beloved children. This Saturday, May 13th join our Funeral Centers at 10:00 am for a Mother's Day Memorial Mass. Join us in praying and honoring all mother's as we give thanks to God for his grace and love through them.

Memorial Day Mass and Patriotic Celebration

Join Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services of the Diocese of Sacramento as we honor, remember, and celebrate those who have given the ultimate price for our freedom. Our Funeral Centers will host a Memorial Day Mass followed by a patriotic celebration in our veteran’s lawn. Please see flyers in link below for more details.

Join us with Deacon Mike and Chaplain Barbara Turner, Consolation Ministry trainers of the Diocese of Sacramento, in an enriching two-day workshop for consolation ministers. If you are involved in consolation ministry at your parish or would like to know more about this ministry, you are welcome to attend this free workshop. Attendance at both days is required. Please see link below for more details and to register. Lunch will be provided.