By Doug Farrow, OpusXenta  Preneed has always been a marketing buzzword for funeral homes, but it can be just as profitable for cemeteries as well.  While many people shy away from considering their final resting place, cemeteries have an amazing opportunity to share the benefits of their offerings. By making existing customers familiar with the […]

By Welton Hong, Ring Ring Marketing Mimicry is a biological phenomenon in nature. Organisms evolve to mimic each other for assorted reasons, including protection against predators, ability to attract a mate, or help in securing resources. For example, many insects mimic their more toxic brethren to reduce their risks of being eaten by birds. Here’s […]

After some time off, we were so blessed to be able to join together once again in Napa for the CCFW Annual conference. While many had to cancel and our numbers were small, those who attended really enjoyed the educational speakers, the roundtable discussions and a sense of camaraderie for those who were there. We […]

Washington, Colorado and Oregon are now among the US states that have legalized the process of converting bodies into soil, a procedure the Catholic Church said fails to show ‘respect for the body of the deceased.’

Thank you to Ted Ratajczyk, Executive Director of Catholic Cemeteries Chicago, for sharing with our group these cremation ads they have been using to encourage cremated remain placement in Catholic Cemeteries.  Feel free to use the same idea in your own community. Closet Full Page Closet Half Page Welcome Home  

Resources Provided by Dave Petermeier, Coldspring (DPetermeier@coldspringusa.com) During the CCFW Roundtable Discussion on 7-30-20, a big takeaway was that many locations are seeing an increase in Pre-Need sales, especially online. Here are some resources that may be helpful to you when creating online meetings and ramping up your virtual pre-need sales. Continue Meeting your family […]

Thank you to all who joined us and contributed to the conversation! You may access the latest Roundtable Recording at: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/3uBfM4jS7VNJR9LC5waPZrQ6O5XAX6a81nAcrKYKnhx67fWCVhleq_G3dX74TNPw Password: wE6Q5?=R The July 30, 2020 Roundtable discussion focused: Procedures for when an employee tests positive? Are you allowing outdoor funeral masses? And, if you are, how are you handling them? What has been […]

You may access the latest Roundtable Recording at: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/vJAtdpDz52RIRavJxxzQeIMRLIHqX6a8g3UWqfQLzRkHmGbkLtl_xl42ht_N8vUz Password: 0y+^@o@2 The June 23, 2020 Roundtable discussion focused: What if we want to limit attendance more that what states allow? What access are we providing to restrooms? Graveside Burial Funeral masses

You may access the latest Roundtable Recording at: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/1_BoK77trERJeKfs1m32Zb86DJ3EX6a8hiIbq6JZmEZqXIYSTQMO-nKwbakQyBZ0 Password: 6w&!#+t5 The May 29, 2020 Roundtable discussion focused: How did you handle your Memorial Day Weekend activities What’s changing now and how are you adjusting? What does the “New” normal look like today? Going forward? How would an Ossuarium benefit the cemetery’s cremation options? What […]

The May 8, 2020 Roundtable discussion focused: How is everyone handling Memorial Day Best practices for communicating restrictions/procedures to the public Funeral services for mass and burials How the Faith is taking shape in action in Catholic Cemeteries during COVID-19? Planning for next steps as areas of the country begin “phasing” back open The next […]

CCFW would like to be a source of support and resources to our members  during this time of uncertainty in the world. This page has been created to share updates that pertain to the Cemetery and Funeral Industry, Resources from Members that have helped them navigate through daily changes created by Covid-19, as well as […]

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The last decade has seen a boom in cemetery tourism, sometimes called Tombstone Tourism. With the rising interest in genealogy, more people are hunting out cemeteries to find their ancestors and trace their story. To feed this demand people who are interested, or even obsessed with cemeteries, or taphophiles are visiting and photographing cemeteries, headstones, […]

In speaking with Richard Peterson, Director of Cemeteries Archdiocese of Seattle, he gave some points to ponder when reading about these new Disposition Laws that have gone or will go into effect in Washington, and possibly other states in the future. How will the funeral rites of the Church be affected? Burial of human remains: […]

For those who have attended the past two CCFW Conferences, you are aware of our Suppler Face Time segment that allows for attendees to interact with our supplier representatives in a fast-paced, creative “get-to-know-you” presentation. One of our suppliers, Gino with Inspired Artisans, takes the creativity to an artistic level naturally. Two years in a […]

We are very excited to welcome all our Cemetery and Funeral Home attendees, as well as our valuable suppliers to Napa in January 2019! Be sure to visit our conference page for updates and to review the schedule of events. Be sure to book your room at the Westin early in order to take advantage […]

New in 2019! CCFW is offering a chance to (Arch)Diocese Cemetery or Funeral Home representatives to attend the 2019 CCFW Annual Conference and have a 1-year membership to the organization. Join us in Napa, January 28-31, to see the difference being a member of CCFW can make! As a member,  you have access to a […]

Hillside, IL, October 1, 2018 – The Catholic Cemetery Conference (CCC), an international Roman Catholic faith network of cemeterians and suppliers, has announced elections to its Board of Directors, effective September 24, 2018. The election was held during the 69th Annual CCC Convention and Exposition in Cincinnati, OH. In making the announcement, Executive Director Dave […]

Dear CCFW Members and Suppliers, I just returned from our planning meeting at the Westin Verasa in Napa, CA and I can confirm that our team found a five-star location and have put together our best ever convention line-up of speakers that will support our personal development, mission and operations. We also booked a golf […]

CLINTON, NC – August 13, 2018 – Aftercare.com, the automated follow up program for funeral homes and cemeteries, today announced they are expanding into Canada.   Aftercare.com has grown to serve firms in all 50 states and adding the ability to serve Canada further demonstrates their commitment to giving funeral professionals an effortless way to stay […]

Date: 13 August 2018 PLOTBOX OPENS THIRD OFFICE IN THE US Following the opening of their Boston office earlier this year, which included 4 new roles, PlotBox is delighted to be further expanding and have now established a new base in Austin, Texas. CEO, Sean McAllister says “We’re delighted to be seeing the business go […]

Cold Spring, Minn. – (May 9, 2018) – Coldspring® – the leading quarrier and fabricator of natural stone in North America – announces its Milbank operations in Milbank, South Dakota, have received Gold-level ANSI/NSC 373 Sustainable Production of Natural Dimension Stone certification. Developed in accordance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines, the rigorous and […]

Another conference has come and gone, and this may have been the best conference to date (or so we were told). Our annual conference focuses on education, hospitality and building relationships with our peers. Here’s a recap of the event! Education The 2018 educational focus was creating exceptional customer service, building successful businesses and the importance […]

Those of you that had the chance to listen to Jake Johnson speak at our 2018 Annual Conference, we learned how to optimize the customer experience and how to create and maintain a superior culture of service. Jake recently shared a blog post with me that you may find as an interesting read. > FAILURE […]