Aug. 27, 2025
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
Holy Saviour Cemetery in Bethlehem has a new mausoleum that can accommodate the remains of more than 700 people.
The Diocese of Allentown’s new structure is behind the old one at 2575 Linden St. It has 480 traditional crypts along with 240 niches for urns.
The diocesan website says its cemeteries support the Christian burial tradition. The Catholic Diocese of Allentown operates two cemeteries, Holy Saviour and Resurrection Cemetery in Upper Macungie Township, west of Allentown.
From the website:
“Burial in a Catholic Cemetery is dedicated to the respected care of the deceased Catholic families who even in death remain part of the whole Christian community. We recognize the religious significance of the corporal work of mercy in carrying out the religious function of the burial and care for the resting places of the deceased.
“Both of our cemeteries offer above ground entombment in the Garden Crypt Mausoleum and in the Columbarium for cremated human remains. Traditional in-ground burial provides single or double depth interment in each lot throughout the acres of the cemeteries.”
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The term “mausoleum” dates back to a King Mausolus, who built an elaborate tomb for himself. His resting place is in what is now Turkey.
Worth noting, a cemetery and a graveyard are not exactly the same thing, though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. A cemetery is typically a large burial ground without a church nearby, while a graveyard is on a church’s grounds or next to a church.
The Diocese of Allentown includes Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Schuylkill and Carbon counties.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 