New Mausoleum Under Construction at Santa Clara Cemetery

Ground was broken, January 21, 2004, to begin construction on a new mortuary located in the Santa Clara Cemetery, Oxnard, California. The mortuary is designed by J. Stuart Todd, Inc. as part of a comprehensive master plan developed for all of the Catholic cemeteries in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Scheduled to open in the spring of 2005, Santa Clara Mortuary is designed in the mission style, and will have a total of 11,772 square feet.

Santa Clara Mortuary is a two-story, fully handicap accessible facility with a flexible and transitional design, allowing several rooms to serve more than one purpose. The chapel, which will be capable of seating 184, will be equipped with an operable partition, enabling the area to be divided into two separate rooms. The chapel will also have an outside entrance, making services easily accessible for family and guests. Santa Clara Mortuary will have three staterooms equipped with seating areas for family and guests. There will also be a double station prep room in the facility. The second floor accommodates the administrative, arrangement, and sales offices, as well as the selection room.

The exterior of Santa Clara Mortuary will have an outdoor plaza, located by the chapel entrance. A large bell tower will be a main focal point of the mortuary, adding to the mission style of the facility. The landscape design will also be developed by J. Stuart Todd, Inc. to enhance the character of Santa Clara Mortuary. The Santa Clara Mausoleum, located behind the mortuary, will soon have an addition added to the facility, and will also be redesigned in the mission style to give continuity to all of the facilities in the cemetery.