Priest in Goa says effective management of overcrowded space in cemetery is lacking

(Nov.02, 2011) A priest in western India’s Goa State on Wednesday decried what he calls the poor management of Holy Cross Cemetery near the state capital Panaji, amid an acute shortage of burial space. “There have been glaring acts of omission and commission by local authorities,” said Fr. Cristovao Caldeira, parish priest of the Holy Cross Church in Santa Cruz. He also said there should be no discrimination when allocating plots in burial grounds. The priest made his comments while celebrating Mass on All Souls Day, 2nd Nov. During the Mass he expressed hope that the local system of collective land ownership would allocate some land to be used as an extension to the cemetery. The parish has over 13,000 parishioners.
He also requested parishioners exhume the bones of their dead after three years because of the lack of space. Parishioners in Mumbai, Maharashtra State, exhume the bones of their dead after 18 months as the problem of land is more critical there, the priest pointed out.