My Ministry
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My Ministry

Ministry > My Ministry

The Corporal Works of Mercy call us to bury and pray for the dead and comfort the afflicted. Each day, our dedicated staff members serve this ministry by providing care and guidance to you during an emotional and difficult time with respect and dignity. For them, it is much more than a job, it is their ministry.

Featured Testimonial

Dan Gilster, manager
Grounds and Facilities

dan glister

For Dan Gilster, manager of Grounds and Facilities for Catholic Cemeteries, his job is more than a just a way to earn a living – to him it is a ministry. “My worst day at the cemetery is still a great day,” he said. He leads the Grounds and Facilities staff who provide an important service to our families in their time of need as well as perpetual care and maintenance of our holy and consecrated grounds and facilities. Dan and his team are the behind the scenes ambassadors who work to provide a serene and comforting environment to those who come to Catholic Cemeteries at a very difficult time. Their job includes:

  • Preparing for and attending to more than 800 committal services a year
  • Mowing, trimming, weeding, and fertilizing over 155 acres of land while maneuvering around thousands of markers, monuments and vases
  • Pruning, mulching, and treating over 1,000 trees
  • Maintaining and cleaning five mausoleums, three shops, and our main office building
  • Maintaining, repairing and removing snow and debris from six miles of cemetery roads.

The team understands the importance of their work and reverently cares for the sacred spaces that are our Catholic cemeteries. “We’re a family here. We really help each other and pull together and get the job done,” said Dan.  Catholic Cemeteries’ staff starts each day with a morning prayer.  Dan encourages his team to express their faith in the workplace. “At the end of the day, I tell my staff that you made God proud today. You served and honored God first when you clocked in.”

Dan left a corporate job and joined the staff of Catholic Cemeteries as an operation representative in July 2003. During this time, his father died and Dan said the experience made him face death in a very personal way and contributed greatly to his finding God and his decision to become a Christian. Dan said his conversion has made his job at Catholic Cemeteries even more meaningful. “This is my mission. This is where I am supposed to be. I have never had a more rewarding experience than I do now,” he said. “Even mowing lawns makes our visitors’ burden a little lighter.”

Talk to a Deacon

Your parish clergy are a wonderful resource for you during this time of loss. As an extension of your parish, our deacons at Catholic Cemeteries are also available to offer prayer, comfort and consolation to you and your family.

Deacon Steve Hill

Deacon Jim Tardy

Deacon Norm Tierney

402-391-3711

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