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Kansas Diocese Opening Green Cemetery May 25th, 2012
Wichita, Kansas is about to become one of the very few cities in the country to offer ‘gree’ or non-toxic burials. The open Kansas prairie – tall natural grasses and the quiet of nature – is where the Catholic Diocese of Wichita will open the area’s first natural burial area. There are no caskets, no vaults, and no headstones.”
In a recent article in the local press, Jim Sheldon, Director of the Catholic cemeteries explains: “The idea is that we’ll have natural gamma grasses, little blue stem, tall to have area like it used to be like the Kansas prairie. “…[A] natural burial area will not only save money for the families who are burying loved ones, but it will save the environment, according to the Casket and Funeral Association of America. This is largely due to the fact that [e]very year, 827,000 gallons of embalming fluid – dangerous chemicals – along with tons of steel, copper, and bronze are buried in the ground, causing potential environmental dangers.
The Oblate JPIC Committee has been looking at the issue of ‘green’ burials in the past year.
To learn more about green burials, visit this article by U.S. Catholic Magazine.
