Cemeteries are the front line of defence against our society’s increasing secularism and fear of death and suffering, says Vancouver Catholic Cemeteries director Peter Nobes.

Peter Nobes stood in a Nova Scotia cemetery filled with a void as he realized that his search for his great-great-grandfather’s grave was fruitless. There were no markings, no records; the grave had been lost to time.

Scattering the ashes of the recently departed is a rising trend in Vancouver despite the practice breaking both civil and Canon Law.

TORONTO - With the opening last month of a new green burial option in the Greater Toronto Area, eco-conscious families now have more choices for burying their loved ones.

It’s just that it’s not an option — yet — at a Catholic cemetery.

When Meadowvale Cemetery opened its green burial section in Brampton, Ont., in June, it was the first of its kind in the GTA. But it won’t be too long before Catholic Cemeteries — Archdiocese of Toronto follows suit.