General Information - Our Staff Team

Our team of family counsellors and cemeterians are here to serve you. They do not work on commission and have no vested interest in recommending one choice over another.

About Our Family Services Counsellors

Our team of family services counsellors are here to serve you, whether it is helping to make arrangements at the time of a death, or assisting with your pre-need planning. The counsellor's role is to explain the options available and provide costs and other information related to your preferred option.

Family services counsellors can be reached through our main office on Spring Gardens Road in Burlington. To discuss options available at Holy Sepulchre or Gate of Heaven Cemeteries, or to arrange a meeting with one of our counsellors, please call 905-522-7727 or 1-800-661-5985.


	John Foster, Manager Responsible for managing the family services team and meeting with families and individuals as needed Studied theology and philosophy at the University of Waterloo Part of the team for 19 years "It's my job to ensure our staff team is well trained and they have the resources they need to do their jobs. The core skills our counsellors need are to be compassionate, empathetic and knowledgeable." Commonly asked questions: "How many people can be buried in one grave? Can non-Catholics be buried here in a Catholic cemetery?"

	Dwayne Cahill Spent time in seminary before working with The Catholic Cemeteries Part of the team for 10 years "Listening, compassion and patience are three skills that are very important when helping families. You need a solid combination of all three, and sometimes you need more of one than the other. It's my job to ensure families feel comfortable and have the right information to make these very important decisions." Most rewarding part of the job: "Knowing when I've helped a family through a very difficult time. It can be as simple as a 'thank you,' or a handshake that lets me know I've done my job."

	Nanda Cozzi Speaks fluent Italian Part of the team for nine years "I have a knack for listening to people. I love being with families and having that direct one-on-one interaction with people. Knowing that I have helped an individual or family through a difficult time is what brings me the most satisfaction." Scope of the job includes: "There's a lot of talking involved in my job; however, my days mostly consist of listening to families. It's not about selling …it's about meeting with families to ensure they're well aware of their options."

	Leanne Fischl Holds a Bachelor of Science degree Began work with the cemeteries as a part-time summer student Part of the team for 8 years "I always think about the families at the end of each day. I review the day to ensure I did my best for them, that I met their needs and price points. I want to make sure I made it as easy as possible for people during a difficult time." Most rewarding part of the job: "When families come back and they feel better and say they appreciate the time I took with them."

	John Perrotta History graduate from McMaster University Speaks fluent Italian Began in 1998 as a summer student before becoming a full-time counsellor in 2003 "Each and every day is different for me. Individuals and families bring forward a different scenario and they all have unique needs - this is what keeps me on my toes. My job is very interesting and extremely rewarding." Skills needed for the job: "Patience and understanding. These are skills that I've learned along the way and will continue to refine. Listening is also very important. Sometimes families just need my ear."

	Jessica Smith Graduated from McMaster University with a degree in English Began working at the cemetery as a summer student in 2005 Part of the team for 3 years "Many families come in with different and unique needs and the most important part of my job is understanding what these needs are and helping them in whatever way possible." Most rewarding part of the job: "Working with families on a daily basis. I enjoy meeting new people and this is something I have the privilege of doing every day."

About our District Cemeterians Our district cemeterians have the same responsibilities as our family services counsellors, in addition to overseeing the general maintenance of the cemeteries. They also make recommendations for upgrades within the cemeteries, such as statuary, landscaping, etc. To discuss options available at Our Lady of the Angels, Resurrection, Holy Cross, St. Joseph (Brantford), Marymount or St. Joseph (Guelph) Cemeteries, please call the appropriate district cemeterian as listed below.

	Ross Hutchison Manages Our Lady of Peace Mausoleum, Gate of Heaven Cemetery Began working with The Catholic Cemeteries in 2003, managing Holy Cross Catholic Cremation Centre in Brantford and assisting with the mausoleum at Holy Cross Cemetery. "I enjoy it; I like dealing with people. I feel good when someone says: ‘You've made this so much easier to deal with. You’ve explained everything.’ It's a nice feeling." Most rewarding part of the job: "It’s about listening and understanding families’ needs. It’s important they get what they want."

	Alice Puma Responsible for Our Lady of the Angels Cemetery and mausoleum in Stoney Creek, and Resurrection Cemetery in Ancaster (905-304-9138 or 1-800-661-5985) Has The Catholic Cemeteries in her genes (father worked at the cemeteries, and brother-in-law and nephew currently do) Speaks fluent Portuguese Part of the team for 13 years "It can be difficult working with families who have suddenly lost a young child. But that's why our jobs are so important. We help people through these difficult situations by making the process easy to understand and as smooth as possible." Most rewarding part of the job: "When people come back to me and say 'thank you, you've made it all so easy for us.' Knowing that a family has felt comfort at a time when they needed us most …that's the best feeling."

	Angela Schon Assists Alice Puma in her work at Our Lady of the Angels Cemetery and mausoleum in Stoney Creek, and Resurrection Cemetery in Ancaster Speaks fluent Hungarian Part of the team for 6 years "People are often surprised when I tell them what I do. I’m quick to tell them it’s about a lot more than death. It’s all about people and families, and I love helping people – it’s the best part of my job." Most challenging part of job: "Sometimes families arrive in very large groups and have difficulty making decisions together. It’s my job to simplify things for families so their options are easy to understand."

	William (Bill) Templeton Responsible for Holy Cross Cemetery, mausoleum and cremation centre, and St. Joseph Cemetery, both located in Brantford (519-442-2608 or 1-800-661-5985) Part of the team for 27 years "I take great pride in my job. I know what it's like to lose a family member, so I treat families just as I would my own." Most rewarding part of the job: "It's the relationships I build with families that make this job so satisfying. I wouldn't trade these experiences for anything. I absolutely love what I do."

	Dominic Tersigni Responsible for Marymount Cemetery and mausoleum, and St. Joseph Cemetery, both located in Guelph (519-836-8814 or 1-800-661-5985) Spent 23 years as a funeral director before becoming part of The Catholic Cemeteries team in 1995 Speaks fluent Italian "Being a cemeterian can be challenging - but it all adds up to experience. Every day I learn something new about my job and myself. This is what makes our work so unique and exciting." Skills needed for the job: "Patience is a virtue. I always treat people as I would my own family, beginning with patience."