about us

Gethsemane Cemetery, located on Kutztown Road, Laureldale, has facilitated Catholic family and friends' burials for 112 years. Administered by the Church of St. Paul, Reading, the site provides a full-service modern cemetery which includes the Bornemann Memorial Chapel, two new mausoleums, and extensive in-ground, private memorial spaces. Private family mausoleums may also be accommodated.

The third pastor of St. Paul's, Monsignor George Bornemann, purchased 54 acres from the Abraham and Elizabeth Schweitzer Estate in Muhlenberg Township in 1895. This large resting place was named Gethsemane, after the biblical garden east of Jerusalem, the scene of Jesus' agony and betrayal.

Gethsemane is a living memorial, well-maintained and constantly groomed by an efficient and hard-working staff. Additional acreage is being added to meet the needs of the 21st century. The beautifully landscaped gardens burst with color and life, providing an atmosphere of dignity and sacredness. The mausoleums and enclosed chapels are impressive structures of permanence and security which invites visitations at all times and in all seasons—weather is rarely a factor.

Gethsemane accommodates traditional grave burials, crypt burials, and niches for remains. Every effort is made to ensure the sacred character and decorum of the sacred grounds. In January, 1953 Gethsemane became a member of the National Catholic Cemetery Conference.