Holy Cross Mausoleum

Beneath the solemn gaze of surrounding hills lies Holy Cross Mausoleum. It’s a place where stories whisper from marble and granite. Holy Cross Mausoleum stands within the sprawling Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California. Archbishop Edward Joseph Hanna dedicated this grand structure on March 28, 1921. Holy Cross Mausoleum was designed by the architect John McQuarrie. The mausoleum has grown over the years. It now offers 40,000 crypts and covers an impressive nine acres. Within its hallowed rotunda rest the Archbishops of San Francisco. Holy Cross Cemetery itself has a rich history. Established in 1887, it was Colma’s first cemetery. Initially spanning 25 acres, it now encompasses a vast 283 acres. The cemetery’s old lodge building, designed by Frank and William Shea, dates back to 1902. Holy Cross Cemetery became a significant final resting place following the 1900 San Francisco ordinance. This ordinance prohibited further burials within city limits. Consequently, between 1937 and 1945, the remains of approximately 39,307 Catholics were moved from San Francisco’s Mount Calvary Cemetery to Holy Cross. A poignant memorial at Holy Cross commemorates this mass relocation. Holy Cross Cemetery even played a role in cinematic history. Scenes from the film “Harold and Maude,” including those depicting Harold attending funerals, were filmed at Holy Cross.