Everlasting Splendor: Cleaning & Restoring Stones at St. Joseph Cemetery

By: Kate Rhea, Cemeterian, St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery

STROLLING THROUGH a cemetery can be a feast for the eyes. Landscaped greenery, flowers, and trees thoughtfully placed along neatly trimmed walkways ensure visitors have a peaceful and picturesque experience when visiting their loved ones. But the true beauty of cemeteries is displayed by the monuments, headstones, and mausoleums themselves, and keeping them neat and clean is the best way to make sure that their beauty can be appreciated for years to come. In older cemeteries like St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, the variety of gravestones in size, design, and material differs greatly as styles transform over the decades. From granite and marble to cement, sandstone, and even iron, each monument ages differently as the years pass.

Restoring headstones to their former glory and maintaining their cleanliness requires special biological cleaning solutions, precision tools, and professional experience. The Diocese of Shreveport takes great pride in keeping the cemetery grounds in pristine condition, making necessary repairs to older monuments, and making the best local professional gravestone cleaners available to the families of those interred at St. Joseph.

Due to safety concerns and liability issues, the diocesan cemetery bylaws prohibit the general public from cleaning or repairing gravestones on their own. However, if you are interested in having a statue or stone professionally cleaned, please contact Kate Rhea at krhea@ dioshpt.org or (318) 219-7264 for more information. The Diocese of Shreveport works together with talented professionals to make sure the stones, statues, and mausoleums at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery remain as beautiful and timeless as the memories they symbolize.