Covid-19 Position Statement
On global, national, and local levels, the quote above expresses two of the key strengths that all of us are being called upon to exercise as we make our way through and move past the current COVID-19 pandemic. Not only is this insidious new coronavirus temporarily changing our way of living, it is also impacting the way we come together as a community when someone we have known and loved dies.
On a daily basis, we at Blue Hill Cemetery & Crematory are dedicated to providing a place of beauty, solace, and reverence to those who are entrusted to our care by their families, friends, and colleagues. We are committed to maintaining those standards with customary dignity and respect throughout the challenging days that lie ahead. In order to maintain that commitment while adhering to the guidelines and mandates issued by federal, state, and local authorities, we are compelled to make necessary changes regarding our standard procedures and protocol. These measures are intended to protect the health and safety of visitors, clients, and our staff.
CEMETERY GROUNDS
The cemetery gates will be open seven days a week as usual from 8:00am to dusk. We continue to welcome visitors to the cemetery grounds in the hope that they will find peace and comfort in our natural surroundings. Our cemetery caretakers will continue to maintain the grounds and landscape with the same care and attention as always.
CEMETERY OFFICE
The cemetery administration office will be closed to walk-in visitors until further notice. Our administrative staff will be working from 8:30am to 4:30pm and may be contacted by phone at 781-843-9000 or by email at information@bluehillcemetery.com. Appointments for immediate-need and pre-need arrangements will be by appointment only and will be strictly limited to two (2) guests in our conference room. Other guests may wait in their cars to follow the cemetery director and primary guests to the cemetery grounds for the selection of burial, crypt, or niche space. Visitors wishing to locate a specific grave should call or email (see contact information above) in advance so we may prepare a map with directions to the grave location. Those maps may be picked up at the front door of the cemetery office; please call upon arrival. Public restrooms in the cemetery administration office will be closed to the public.
COMMITTAL SERVICES
Processions arriving at the cemetery directly from the funeral home or place of worship as well as graveside services that queue up on the elliptical roadway in front of the cemetery office will be limited to a total of twenty-five (25) guests (not including funeral home staff). We will not be allowing guests to serve as pallbearers on the cemetery grounds. We will continue to prepare for committal services at graves by installing tents, chairs, greens, etc.
CREMATORY
The crematory will continue to serve funeral home clients during our regular hours of operation; please refer to the home page at www.bluehillcemetery.com. Funeral directors may reserve the Ridge Room in thirty (30) minute increments (maximum of ninety (90) minutes) by contacting the crematory in advance at 781-843-4000. The number of guests allowed in the Ridge Room will be limited to a total of fifteen (15) (not including funeral home staff).
We are all in this together and the timeline is indefinite, so please reach out to us with any questions or concerns you may have. In the meantime, we extend our best wishes for your safety and health!
“We should keep the dead before our eyes and honor them as though still living.”
– Confucius