The transition is intended to strengthen the long-term care, consistency, and sustainability of parish cemeteries across the diocese.
NEWS RELEASE
July 1, 2026
Contact: Jennifer Sharpnack, Director of Cemeteries, 330-792-4721, jsharpnack@cfcsmission.org
YOUNGSTOWN, OH — The Diocese of Youngstown is beginning a phased transition of parish cemetery operations to Catholic Funeral & Cemetery Services (CFCS), a Catholic ministry dedicated to serving families through cemetery and end-of-life care rooted in the hope of the Resurrection.
The transition will take place over the next few years and is intended to strengthen the long-term care, consistency, and sustainability of parish cemeteries across the Diocese. Parish cemeteries will remain sacred places of prayer, remembrance, and Catholic identity for the parish community, while CFCS will provide the operational support needed to care for these grounds with greater consistency, transparency, and professional oversight.
“Parish cemeteries are not simply property or records. They are sacred ground,” says Bishop David Bonnar. “They are places where the Church continues to accompany families in grief, honor the faithful departed, and proclaim our belief that death does not have the final word. This transition is about protecting that sacred mission for generations to come.”
Under the new operating model, CFCS will support parish cemeteries through consistent family service practices, professional cemetery records and systems, financial reporting and perpetual-care tracking, oversight of grounds and maintenance, and support for both at-need and pre-need ministry. The goal is to provide families with a Catholic cemetery experience marked by clarity, consistency, compassion and dignity.
The transition will be implemented in phases using a hub-and-spoke approach across the Diocese. Initial work will focus on identified parish cemeteries in the first year, with additional parish cemeteries added as part of a sequenced rollout based on county, readiness, and operational need.
The pastoral role of the parish and pastor will remain essential. Pastors will continue to accompany families, celebrate funeral liturgies, bless and commend the body, console the grieving, and invite families more deeply into the life of Christ and His Church. CFCS will assume operational responsibilities so that parish leaders can focus more fully on the spiritual and pastoral care that only the parish can provide.
“This is not a departure from parish ministry,” says Robert Seelig, CEO of CFCS, “It is a way of supporting it. By strengthening the operational foundation beneath parish cemeteries, we can help ensure these sacred places are cared for responsibly, sustainably, and with the reverence Catholic families deserve.”
The Diocese and CFCS will continue to communicate with pastors, parish leaders, and families as the transition proceeds.
For any further questions, contact Jennifer Sharpnack, Director of Cemeteries, 330-792-4721, jsharpnack@cfcsmission.org
About Catholic Funeral & Cemetery Services
Catholic Funeral & Cemetery Services is a Catholic ministry that serves families and dioceses through funeral, cremation, cemetery, and end-of-life care. CFCS is committed to caring for the dead, comforting the grieving, and witnessing to the hope of the Resurrection.
