Denver Press Release - Catholic Management Services

Catholic Management Services
Partners with Archdiocese of Denver
Pleasanton, CA--March 17, 2016--Catholic Management Services (CMS), a Church-owned, nonprofit organization offering
strategic planning and professional services that address the funeral, cemetery and administrative needs of today’s Catholic
Church, has signed a Management Services contract with the Archdiocese of Denver. CMS, who initially partnered with
Denver in early 2015 to guide the Archdiocese through a transitional period, looks forward to continuing its mission to serve
Catholic families in the mile-high city.
“By partnering with the Archdiocese of Denver, CMS hopes to help solidify the role of the Catholic Church in end-of-life
decisions for its parishes and families,” said CMS CEO Robert Seelig. “There is tremendous opportunity for the Archdiocese
of Denver to expand the funeral and cemetery ministry to the Catholic community in Northern Colorado.”
The Archdiocese of Denver first enlisted the help of CMS in early 2015 when it was faced with the retirement of both its
Director of Cemeteries and Chief Financial Officer. CMS helped Denver by hiring an interim Director to navigate through
this period of transition, and has since filled the role permanently for the Archdiocese. At the conclusion of this preliminary
work, the Archdiocese decided to partner with CMS to assist in the expansion of this vital ministry.
The Archdiocese of Denver is one of only five Catholic dioceses in the country in the mortuary business. Four of the five
happen to be CMS clients, making CMS fully equipped to take on the intricacies of Denver’s funeral and cemetery system.
“For over two thousand years, our Catholic funeral rites have helped to gather and console our community at the passing of
a loved one. With the increasingly complex decisions that families face with funeral, cremation, and cemetery services, we’re
revitalizing this important service to our community,” said Gary Schaaf, the Executive Director of Mt. Olivet Cemetery and
Mortuary. “We’ve already begun a series of projects responding to the needs and requests of the community, and look
forward to enhancing and growing this important ministry.”
About Catholic Management Services
Catholic Management Services was formed as a 501(c)3 non-profit to serve the greater Catholic Church at the request of bishops and dioceses to
provide funeral and cemetery consulting and management services. CMS staff works in numerous dioceses supporting over 30 active cemeteries
conducting 10,000 burial services annually and 10 funeral centers providing over 2,500 funeral and cremation services. CMS’ unique “shared services”
model has reinvigorated a vital ministry producing positive financial results when organizations are being challenged to sustain their operations. For
more information, please visit www.cmsmission.org.
For Media Inquiries, contact:
Megan Folkman | Client Communications Manager
925-965-2781 | mfolkman@cmsmission.org