New Catholic cemetery to be built in Oklahoma City

After more than two decades of planning, a new Catholic cemetery is set to be built in Oklahoma City. 

Archbishop Coakley and board members of Resurrection Memorial Cemetery will break ground in September for the new Calvary Cemetery in southwest Oklahoma City. The cemetery on SW 119 is along Interstate 44 about 16 miles southwest of downtown Oklahoma City. 

The $11 million cemetery, which will be paid for by Resurrection, is the culmination of years of planning, research and population studies by Resurrection and the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City to determine the best location for another Catholic cemetery. 

Initially, plans called for expanding Resurrection Memorial Cemetery along Northwest Expressway, but as the population of Oklahoma City expanded south toward Moore, it became clear the cemetery was needed in a different location. Resurrection sold the property it had purchased along Northwest Expressway and bought 40 acres along SW 119 between Interstate 44 and Meridian Avenue about a mile south of Will Rogers International Airport.

“This cemetery will provide a beautiful location for families of loved ones in south Oklahoma City, Moore, Norman and beyond,” Archbishop Coakley said. “I am grateful for the work of the cemetery board and executive director Branden Seid to bring to the archdiocese a cemetery that will provide support, comfort and beauty in the Catholic tradition.”        

The new cemetery was the vision of Seid and designed with consultant John Bolton. The chapel and office were designed by GH2 Architects of Oklahoma City. The cemetery will include a chapel, glass from niche rooms, niches around the reflection pond, cremation benches for the increasing number of families choosing cremation, numerous columbarium and 3,400 ground spaces in the initial phase.  

The Catholic Church permits cremation with specific guidelines emphasizing respect for the deceased and their remains. Cremated remains should be treated with the same reverence as a body and interred in a cemetery or columbarium, ideally within a Catholic cemetery. Scattering ashes, keeping them at home or dividing them are not permitted.

Upon entering the cemetery, families will be greeted with the three empty crosses representing the scene of the crucifixion, a life-sized crucifix will hang in the narthex. Visible through the back window of the chapel will be station No. 13 and in the main part of the cemetery will be the 14 Stations of the Resurrection around a spiritual and reflective walk.

Every section will be named after holy lands – Golgotha Garden, Mount Olivet, Gethsemane, Capernaum, Emmaus, Bethany and Jerusalem. The areas will coordinate with the stations. The final area by the pond will be Galilee.  

The first phase is scheduled to be completed in early 2027. Pre-sales will be available this October.

“We hope by establishing the cemetery more families can start a legacy with us,” said Seid, executive director of Resurrection Memorial Cemetery. 

“Cemeteries are often the first place people come at a very difficult time. Catholic cemeteries symbolize a vital extension of the local parish community. … I feel I was brought into this position to help people, so for me to be involved in providing a final resting place for faithful Catholics within the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City brings my soul comfort that they’ll be taken care of for generations.” 

Diane Clay is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.

Calvary Cemetery
4201 SW 119
Website: calcemokc.com, rescemokc.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (405) 721-4191 

Architectural renderings of Calvary Cemetery. Photos provided.