About Memorial Reefs International

Catholic Burial at Sea: Yes, It Can Be Done!

For practicing Catholics who love the ocean, the idea of burial at sea feels like a closed door. Canon law strictly forbids scattering cremated remains or committing uncontained remains to the open water.

Fortunately, a Memorial Reef is a fully permissible, beautiful alternative that honors both the Catholic faith and your love for the sea.

Why Memorial Reefs comply with Catholic teachings

Memorial Reefs International provides an innovative approach that completely satisfies Catholic canonical requirements for the dignified care of cremated remains.

- No Scattering or Mixing: The cremated remains of your loved one are placed intact inside a worthy, individual urn. They are never scattered, poured, or mixed with other substances.

- A Sealed, Permanent Structure: The urn is securely sealed inside an eco-friendly, pH-balanced concrete reef monument designed to rest on the ocean floor for centuries.

- A Defined, Sacred Place of Remembrance: Unlike traditional sea burials where remains drift away, a memorial reef stays at a fixed, permanent location.

- Identifiable and Solitary: Each reef features a custom-engraved bronze marker and is registered with exact GPS coordinates.

This physical permanence provides family, friends, and the Church community with a specific place to return to for prayer, reflection, and honoring the deceased.

How Memorial Reefs work

Memorial Reefs International provides a respectful memorial that helps restore marine ecosystems.

First, your loved one’s cremated remains are sealed inside an urn and affixed within a specially designed reef monument. The concrete dome structure attracts coral growth and shelters marine life. Next, we move onto the dedication ceremony.

During the dedication ceremony, families have the option of joining us on a chartered vessel to witness the monument being lowered to its final resting place in one of our designated undersea memorial gardens. This can take the form of a separate charter to let you accompany the dedication boat, or a full 2-3 day destination funeral meticulously planned and carried out by us.

Once on the sea floor, the monument becomes a permanent resting place that fosters new coral growth and provides a sanctuary for marine life. It is a living legacy that mirrors the Christian hope of the resurrection.

Catholic rules regarding burial at sea

To understand the Catholic rules around sea burial, it helps to look at the Vatican's guidelines regarding cremation.

In the 2016 Vatican instruction “Ad Resurgendum cum Christo” ("To Rise with Christ"), the Catholic Church reaffirmed its theological principles regarding the human body and the resurrection.

Why scattering cremated remains is not allowed for Catholics

Catholic teaching prohibits scattering cremated remains (ashes) on land or at sea, as well as:

- Dividing remains among family members
- Keeping them at home
- Mixing the cremated remains with other material
- Pouring loose remains into the water
- Dropping a temporary container that dissolves
- Turning the remains into jewelry or art pieces
- Casting an urn into the open ocean that can break or wash up on shore

All of those practices fail to show the required respect for the human body. Furthermore, anonymous or untrackable burials prevent us from remembering and praying for the deceased as part of the Communion of Saints.

Why Memorial Reefs are really the only option for Catholic burial at sea

The Church explicitly allows flame cremation provided the cremated remains are laid to rest in a permanent place that can be visited by others to pay their respects.

We adopted urn interment as our standard practice for all memorials because it conforms to the rules of many faiths, and especially to those of the Roman Catholic Church.

A Memorial Reef functions essentially as an underwater columbarium. Because the remains stay intact inside a permanent, marked structure at a documented geographic location, it provides the exact physical presence and dignity that Catholic tradition demands. It ensures your loved one is never forgotten by the living.

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Create a lasting final resting place for your loved one in a living memorial reef.

MEMORIAL REEFS INTERNATIONAL