The old saying about “death and taxes” rings true. All people are eventually confronted with a decision concerning the final resting place for them and their loved ones.
It’s fortunate for Catholics in the Diocese of Palm Beach that Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery is here to meet their ultimate needs on 53 acres along Southern Boulevard just west of State Road 7 in Royal Palm Beach. The cemetery offers ground burials, crypts, niches, columbaria, memorial benches, family estates and private estates to memorialize loved ones in a peaceful setting.
The Archdiocese of Miami initially purchased 333 acres in 1972, and then-Miami Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll first consecrated the land as sacred ground in 1974. Holy or consecrated ground can refer to the land upon which a sacred object in the church, like a church itself, stands or once stood. But more generally, it’s property that has been blessed by God through a liturgical ceremony. When someone mentions “consecrated grounds,” they are often talking about a Catholic cemetery.
When the Diocese of Palm Beach was formed in 1984, ownership of the cemetery reverted to the new diocese, operated by a nonprofit corporation. New buildings have been added as needed.
“In 2018 and 19, we added a 2,000-space mausoleum here on site, and we’re planning another 10 acres of graves, private estates, monuments and columbaria in the northwestern area of the cemetery,” said Daniel P. Lewis, current cemetery administrator. “We’re hopefully going to get started on construction in early 2026 in order to meet the needs of the community.”
Two popular annual events that draw many visitors to the cemetery are Masses in the outdoor chapel for Memorial Day and All Souls’ Day, both presided over by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito. The cemetery also hosts monthly memorial Masses for those who died the previous month, for all the cemetery’s deceased and the holy souls in purgatory.
The No One Buried Alone ministry, which is a partnership between the diocese, Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery and the Palm Beach County Department of Human Services, gives a dignified burial to deceased people with no known family members. Father Gabriel Ghanoum, director of spiritual and palliative care at JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, “adopts” the individuals and accepts responsibility for the final disposition of their cremated remains. Annually, about 400 cremains are interred in crypts at the cemetery during special ceremonies led by Father Ghanoum.
Detailed records are kept on the people interred as part of No One Buried Alone. Each crypt is “categorized with their names in case a family member comes in the future looking for their loved ones,” Lewis said. “We occasionally get cases where the families just lost touch with their loved one and they determined that it was in the Palm Beaches. Then they find out about the No One Buried Alone program and they contact us at the cemetery. We will retrieve the cremains of their loved ones, provided they have proof that they’re next of kin.”
In the center of the cemetery is a burial section for priests who have served in the Diocese of Palm Beach. A large statue of St. Peter overlooks their final resting place. Lewis said the cemetery also has an Angel of Hope section for babies, unborn and younger than 12 months old.
“As part of our education program, we’re forever educating people who have pre-planned or have someone who has died on what a Catholic committal service is all about,” he said. “The committal service is done by a Catholic deacon or priest. During the service, the ashes or body is blessed by the clergy and there is Scripture read. We require anybody who is buried or interred here at the cemetery to have a Catholic committal service.”
Family service advisors at the cemetery provide guidance and support to individuals and families through the death and dying process. They emphasize the importance of key elements such as the funeral Mass at a parish, the committal service and burial. Advisors work closely with families to help design a funeral that reflects their needs, values and traditions.
A hearty staff of outside workers maintain the variety of foliage in the cemetery, constantly trimming trees and bushes, and mowing each section at least once a week, Lewis said. “Some of this vegetation is over 40 years old. The big oak trees, we continue to maintain those because if you don’t maintain them, they’re going to die. Our beautiful royal palms, we maintain them two or three times a year for trimming, and each year about this time we do hurricane trims,” he added.
Many people in the funeral business have said Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Cemetery is the best maintained cemetery in the Palm Beaches, Lewis said.
“The cemetery has a perpetual care account,” he said, “which means that even after the cemetery is 100% sold out, there’s a fund there that will take care of the grounds forever.”
To learn more about Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery, visit www.ourqueen.org, follow on Facebook, email info@ourqueen.org or call 561-793-0711.
