St. Francis Catholic Cemetery
Waterville ME

St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, established June 1, 1898, is a traditional monument cemetery owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine.

We take great pride in having served the diverse ethnic population of the greater Waterville area for over 100 years. St. Francis Catholic Cemetery is privileged to be a part of the rich history of the city. Many of our families originally came to the Waterville area to find work in the textile and paper mills that thrived along the banks of the mighty Kennebec River.

The cemetery, originally part of the former St. Francis de Sales Parish, is located on 32 acres of land bordered by the Messalonskee Stream to its west and the city's Pine Grove Cemetery and the Kennebec River to its east.

At the present time, the cemetery contains over 15,000 burials.

The Corpus Christi Cremation Garden, dedicated in September 1998, is a flush marker section exclusively for cremation burial. Its lush green grass is accented by colorful perennial plantings. Its towering split-leaf maples provide shade and a sense of tranquility to the area as their limbs sway in the breeze.

A huge monument constructed of Italian marble and Vermont granite depicting the crucifixion of Christ stands at the head of the garden, while flowers form the shape of a chalice and the Holy Eucharist.

In addition to garden burials, granite benches are available for above ground entombment of cremation urns. A columbarium is also planned for the future that will provide 40 or more above ground niches.

St. Francis Catholic Cemetery provides a wide array of services. Some prices are listed below, but many require estimates. All estimates are free.

Any work done on cemetery grounds must be done by cemetery personnel with the exception of planting flowers, which may be done by individuals. A qualified monument dealer must erect all monuments. A monument application is required and is available at the cemetery office or local monument dealers.

We are a regional cemetery providing service to the Corpus Christi Parish in Waterville and St. Joseph Maronite in Waterville.

 

https://portlanddiocese.org/cemeteries-and-funerals/st-francis-catholic-cemetery  

 

HISTORY OF ST. FRANCIS CATHOLIC CEMETERY

A former trotting park was chosen for the site of St. Francis Catholic Cemetery. Rev Narcissus Charland, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish, purchased the original tract of land on June 1, 1898; Bishop James Healy consecrated the cemetery, Oct. 14, 1899. The area known as Pine Banks Park was acquired from Central Maine Power Company on July 17, 1944. In September of 1944 Frederick and Tina Poulin along with James and Elizabeth Poulin donated adjacent land which included an old gravel pit and the surrounding property.

The cemetery was operated out of the rectory at St. Francis de Sales until an office was established on cemetery grounds. A garage that stood at 58 Elm Street in Waterville was moved to the cemetery entrance where the building remained until a foundation could be constructed. Eventually the structure was placed on the foundation where it now stands. The inside was finished and cobblestones that were once part of the city streets were used to cover the outside of the building giving it the appearance we see today.

The office was opened about 1951 when William (Bill) Provencher was named the first superintendent. By late 1952 Bill began keeping the first set of complete burial records. Bill retired in December 1969.

Clarence Hebert was named the second superintendent on Jan. 1, 1970. He purchased the first backhoe for the cemetery in 1972 and continued to mechanize cemetery operations throughout his 22-year career. Clarence was instrumental in establishing the first Cemetery Board of Directors, setting the course for the cemetery to become a regional Catholic Cemetery operating independently of St. Francis de Sales Parish. He retired in May 1992.

On June 1, 1992, the Cemetery Committee named Clarence's son, Michael, manager/treasurer. By this time the committee included members of the three Waterville parishes: St Francis de Sales, Sacred Heart and Notre Dame (which, in 1996, were combined to become the Parish of the Holy Spirit ). St. John the Baptist in Winslow also became part of the cemetery committee at this time.

Michael began his career at the cemetery April 15, 1975 as foreman. When he took the reins he decided to continue in his role as foreman, as well as becoming manager/treasurer. Mike's wife, Deb took on the responsibilities of record keeping, bookkeeping and receptionist.

St. Francis Catholic Cemetery is not only a part of the rich history of this community and our church, for within its boundaries is held the history of thousands of local families.