Catholic Cemetery Options in DFW: A Family Guide

For Catholic families in the DFW metroplex, choosing a cemetery is one of the most consequential decisions of the funeral planning process — it is permanent, it shapes how the family visits and remembers, and Catholic teaching encourages burial in a sacred (Catholic) place. This guide walks through the four primary diocesan-affiliated options, plus the considerations of using a non-Catholic cemetery for a Catholic burial.

Vargas-London coordinates burials at all four diocesan Catholic cemeteries plus the major non-denominational cemeteries. We do not own or operate any cemetery and do not earn referral fees from any of them — the recommendations below are based purely on what serves your family.

Calvary Hill Cemetery (Dallas) — the anchor Diocese of Dallas Catholic cemetery

Calvary Hill Cemetery
3235 Lombardy Lane, Dallas, TX 75220
Diocese: Diocese of Dallas
Established: 1953
Acreage: approximately 60 acres

Calvary Hill is the largest and most historically significant Catholic cemetery in north Texas. It is owned and operated by the Diocese of Dallas and serves as the burial ground for many of the diocese's clergy, religious, and laity since its founding. The Cemetery offices and a small chapel are on-site.

What's available:

• In-ground burial in named sections (each section has different price points and aesthetic features)
• Mausoleum entombment (above-ground crypts)
• Columbarium niches for cremated remains
• Cremation gardens for direct interment of cremated remains in ground
• Family lots (multiple plots together)
• Veteran sections for Catholic veterans

Eligibility: The deceased must be a baptized Catholic in good standing, OR a non-Catholic spouse, parent, or child of a Catholic, OR (in some sections) a non-Catholic Christian who served the Catholic community.

Approximate pricing (2026): In-ground plots $4,000–$10,000 depending on section; mausoleum $7,000–$15,000; columbarium niche $2,000–$5,500. Opening and closing of grave $1,500–$2,500. Vault required.

Calvary Hill is approximately 5 miles from our office at 12101 Greenville Ave., Dallas. The cemetery is set on rolling, well-landscaped grounds with abundant mature trees. Calvary Hill cemetery website.

Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery (Fort Worth)

Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery
2301 NW 25th St, Fort Worth, TX 76106
Diocese: Diocese of Fort Worth
Established: late 19th century

Mount Olivet is the anchor Catholic cemetery of the Diocese of Fort Worth, serving Tarrant County and the surrounding Hispanic Catholic communities of Fort Worth's Northside, the Stockyards district, and beyond. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Fort Worth, with significant historical importance.

What's available:

• In-ground burial
• Mausoleum entombment
• Columbarium for cremated remains
• Multiple family-lot configurations
• Sections of historic significance to Fort Worth's Hispanic Catholic community

Eligibility: Same as Calvary Hill — baptized Catholic in good standing or qualifying family member.

Approximate pricing (2026): In-ground plots $3,500–$9,500; mausoleum $6,000–$13,500; columbarium $1,800–$5,000. Opening and closing $1,300–$2,200. Vault required.

Mount Olivet is the natural cemetery for Fort Worth Catholic families with multi-generational ties to All Saints Catholic Church (Northside), Saint Mary of the Assumption, the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, and other Diocese of Fort Worth parishes.

Gates of Heaven Cemetery (Frisco)

Gates of Heaven Cemetery
8000 Eldorado Pkwy, Frisco, TX 75035
Diocese: Diocese of Dallas
Established: 2010s

Gates of Heaven is the newest Diocese of Dallas Catholic cemetery, located on the campus of Saint Francis of Assisi parish in Frisco. It serves the rapidly growing Catholic communities of Frisco, north Plano, McKinney, Allen, Prosper, and the surrounding Collin County corridor.

What's available:

• In-ground burial in modern, well-designed sections
• Mausoleum (planned for future expansion)
• Columbarium niches for cremated remains
• Cremation gardens for direct ground interment

Approximate pricing (2026): In-ground plots $5,500–$11,000; columbarium $2,500–$6,000. Opening and closing $1,500–$2,500. Vault required.

Because Gates of Heaven is on the Saint Francis of Assisi campus, families can have the Funeral Mass and the Rite of Committal at the same physical location, reducing the procession-time burden. This is increasingly preferred by Frisco-area Catholic families.

Mount Carmel Cemetery (Lewisville)

Mount Carmel Cemetery
1115 W FM 1171, Lewisville, TX 75067
Diocese: Diocese of Dallas
Established: late 20th century

Mount Carmel serves Catholic families in Denton County, Lewisville, Flower Mound, and Carrollton. It is smaller than Calvary Hill or Mount Olivet but provides a closer option for Denton County families.

What's available:

• In-ground burial
• Cremation niches
• Family lots

Approximate pricing (2026): In-ground plots $4,000–$8,500; cremation niche $2,000–$5,000. Opening and closing $1,400–$2,200.

Mount Carmel is the natural choice for Catholic families with home parishes at St. Philip the Apostle (Lewisville) or in the broader Denton County corridor.

Catholic burial at non-Catholic cemeteries

Catholic teaching encourages but does not require burial in a Catholic cemetery. Catholic families may use non-denominational cemeteries (Restland, Sparkman/Hillcrest, Laurel Land in Dallas; Greenwood, Oakwood in Fort Worth; Castle Gardens or Resthaven in Collin County) for various reasons:

• The family already owns plots from a previous generation
• Geographic preference (closer to family home)
• Existing family burial location
• Pricing differences
• Veterans choosing Dallas–Fort Worth National Cemetery (free for eligible veterans, not affiliated with any denomination)

For non-Catholic-cemetery burials, the priest can still celebrate the Rite of Committal at the gravesite, blessing the grave and conducting the prescribed prayers. The grave itself is consecrated by the priest's blessing rather than by the cemetery's diocesan affiliation. This is a perfectly valid Catholic burial.

Practical decisions for Catholic families

Six considerations when choosing among the cemetery options:

1. Geographic convenience for ongoing family visits: cemetery visits are part of Catholic mourning. Choose a cemetery the family can realistically visit over years and decades.
2. Multi-generational family ties: if a parent or grandparent is already buried at one cemetery, that may be the natural choice.
3. Pricing fit: Mount Carmel and parts of Mount Olivet often have the lowest in-ground pricing. Calvary Hill premium sections run highest. Compare in writing.
4. Funeral Mass coordination: Gates of Heaven (on the Saint Francis of Assisi campus) and Mount Olivet (close to Cathedral of Saint Patrick) offer same-campus or nearby Funeral Mass coordination.
5. Veterans benefits: if the deceased is a Catholic veteran, Dallas–Fort Worth National Cemetery is free for the plot, opening/closing, and headstone. The priest still celebrates the Rite of Committal at the gravesite.
6. Cremation vs. burial: Catholic teaching since 2016 (Ad Resurgendum cum Christo) requires cremated remains to be buried or entombed in a sacred place — all four diocesan cemeteries offer columbarium niches; non-Catholic cemeteries' columbariums are also acceptable when blessed by a priest.

Vargas-London coordinates with all of these cemeteries directly. We help families compare costs in writing, schedule cemetery visits, confirm casket and vault requirements (which vary by cemetery and section), and handle all paperwork. There is no upcharge for cemetery coordination.