FORMS

July 1, 2020

Dear Funeral Director, 

While Mount Auburn remains committed to performing its core business functions it is also working to protect the health and well-being of its staff, volunteers, visitors, clients, and families. The following outlines Mount Auburn’s current practices:

Sales Appointments for Burial Space Sales are available. We are currently offering sale appointments for all at-need and pre-need families and clients. Sales appointments must be booked in advance and will follow current procedures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Interment Services Remain Operational.  We are currently performing casket, natural, and cremation burials. All burial services will follow modified procedures in order to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The Crematory Remains Operational.  We continue to perform cremations.  Our Crematory staff are practicing universal precautions with the handling of all caskets, alternative containers, and urns.  We have mandated “social distancing” protocols for all certified Crematory personnel to ensure that we can continue operating the facility even if one person becomes ill.  As part of our social distancing protocols, we are also limiting Crematory access to one funeral director at a time.  

Chapel Rentals are Prohibited until further notice.  Currently, we are not renting our chapels for any memorial services or receptions.  We are glad to work with a family by email or phone to provide some preliminary guidance and will work with families to book a future date once we reopen for chapel rentals. 

Witness Cremations are Prohibited until further notice.  In keeping with the recommendations of the CDC and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, we are limiting gatherings within our buildings to prevent community spread of the virus.  If there is a religious right associated with cremation, we will make a special accommodation to allow an immediate family member and a religious officiant to observe the start of the cremation process. 

Administrative Office will remain open for business activity.  We continue to staff our Administrative Office in order to facilitate  cremation and interment requests.  The office is operating with more limited staffing and the door remains locked to prevent public access.  We ask that you provide paperwork via fax and email when at all possible and deposit any physical forms in the locked document box located outside our door. We will retrieve these documents each business day. Please call us in advance of arriving at the Cemetery to arrange for the pick-up of cremated remains.

If you feel at all sick or are exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms, please do not enter our Crematory or Office.  If you do visit us in person, please do use the hand sanitizer  available from our hand sanitizer stations in these spaces.  

You can see more about the Cemetery’s overall Pandemic Plan, including impacts for general visitors at:  www.mountauburn.org/coronavirus.  As this situation continues to evolve, we will update you with changes in our operations that impact your own.   Please contact us with additional questions. Thank you for your part in helping to minimize the spread of this virus.