HI, DON AND SCOTT. WHILE NATURAL BURIALS HAVE LONG BEEN OFFERED AT OTHER CEMETERIES IN THE STATE, THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO IS NOW THE ONLY CATHOLIC DIOCESE IN ILLINOIS TO PROVIDE IT. AFTER ROUGHLY 18 MONTHS OF PLANNING, THEY ARE OPENING THE MEADOWS OF SAINT KATERI AT SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL CATHOLIC CEMETERY IN PALATINE, BETWEEN FULL BODY BURIALS AND THE BURIAL OF CREMATED REMAINS, THERE ARE ABOUT 650 PLOTS AVAILABLE AND SOME HAVE ALREADY BEEN RESERVED. NATURAL BURIALS FORGO TRADITIONAL CASKETS AND HARSH EMBALMING FLUIDS INSTEAD. HERE AT SAINT KATERI, INDIVIDUALS WILL STILL BE BURIED IN A CASKE, BUT ONE MADE OF NATURAL MATERIALS SUCH AS WICKER OR BAMBOO. NO METAL OR CONCRETE IS PERMITTED. WE SPOKE THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CATHOLIC CEMETERIES FOR THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO, WHO SAYS THEY CONSULTED WITH A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE GREEN BURIAL COUNCIL DURING THEIR PLANNING EFFORTS. HE ALSO SHARES HE HAS SEEN AN INCREASE IN FAMILIES EXPLORING GREEN BURIAL OPTIONS. THE REQUESTS HAVE INCREASED YEAR AFTER YEAR, AND SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT FOR US TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND SO WE FELT IT WAS TIME TO GO AHEAD AND START THIS. WE'VE LAID OUT CURRENTLY ABOUT AN ACRE AND A HALF THAT WE'RE GOING TO OPEN SLOWLY. SO PHASE ONE IS OPENING ABOUT A THIRD OF THAT AND MAKING IT AVAILABLE TO THE FAMILIES. AND THEN WE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ON AS WE NEED MORE SPACE. MANY FAMILIES LIVE THEIR LIFE IN A VERY ECO FRIENDLY WAY. THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED AFTER DEATH IN A VERY ECO FRIENDLY WAY. THE SITE WILL BE DEDICATED DURING AN OUTDOOR MASS ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH AT NOON. THE PUBLIC IS WELCOME TO ATTEND AND TOUR THE SPACE