Featured in American Cemetery & Cremation (April 2025)
The following article by Andrew Krawczyk, President of Global Bronze, was originally published in American Cemetery & Cremation in April 2025. In it, Andrew shares insights from a recent fiberglass mausoleum project at Calvary Cemetery in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and reflects on how modular construction is reshaping the future of memorialization.
Calvary Cemetery, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Calvary Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that features a wonderful mix of beauty and history throughout its rolling terrain. The then-rural land was acquired in 1917, and the cemetery saw its first interment in 1924. There are around 22,000 interred there now.
I’m proud to share that the cemetery is now also home to a cutting-edge mausoleum, constructed in a record-breaking 10 days using innovative fiberglass crypt technology. This feat was accomplished thanks to an approach to mausoleum construction that is poised to transform the industry.
Calvary contacted our team at Global Bronze in their quest for a new mausoleum that would be modern, elegant, and durable. Traditionally, mausoleums are built using concrete, a material that can be time-consuming to work with and susceptible to moisture damage and cracking.
This new mausoleum at Calvary Cemetery features 145 single crypts, 55 couch crypts, and 144 tandem niches, all constructed using fiberglass elements. While fiberglass is a common material in many areas of construction, its application in mausoleum crypts is a ground-breaking development.
Why Fiberglass Changes Mausoleum Construction
We have been working with fiberglass designs for over 30 years, starting with small projects and gradually expanding our capabilities to include large builds like this one.
For sheer versatility from a design standpoint, working in fiberglass allows greater creativity, as we can bring to reality almost any design someone can imagine and install in cemeteries no matter how unique their access points and site shape may be.
Fiberglass offers many advantages over traditional concrete. It is impervious to chemicals and moisture, making it incredibly durable. It also performs better in seismic zones and boasts exceptional structural strength.
The advantages extend beyond durability. The fiberglass crypts are airtight, precision-engineered for rapid assembly, and feature a sleek, modern design. A new hanging system simplifies the installation of granite shutters, eliminating the need for time-consuming adjustments and ensuring uniform seams. The shutters are automatically aligned, which streamlines the entire process.
Furthermore, each crypt is equipped with built-in liquid trays, eliminating the need for additional casket trays.
Faster Installation, Minimal Disruption
The staff at Calvary appreciated the ease of installation and the time saved with this system. The less-than-two-week build time minimized the presence of crews on their sacred grounds while keeping disruption to a minimum. (While disruption wasn’t as much of a concern in Tulsa, it was highly important when we built a similar project indoors for Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum in New Jersey.)
I believe the interior finish is superior to concrete, with light colors creating a bright and elegant final appearance. The people at Calvary and others who have seen this innovative fiberglass approach are always impressed by the aesthetic appeal of the finished product.
“If you weren’t aware that it was constructed by this method, you couldn’t tell that it wasn’t poured concrete,” said Calvary’s director, Deacon John Johnson, who also serves as CEO of the Catholic Cemetery Association of Tulsa.
Scalable Growth for Cemeteries
Perhaps the most significant advantage of this modular system is its affordability and scalability. Cemeteries can start with a smaller installation and expand as needed.
This can be a game-changer for smaller cemeteries with limited budgets. They can finance expansion through their existing cash flow. For example, if 75% of a 40-crypt unit is sold, the cemetery can easily order another 40-crypt unit, which can be added in a matter of days.
This process can be repeated as needed, allowing for controlled and sustainable growth.
A Future-Focused Approach to Memorialization
Calvary has on their website a quote from Harriet Beecher Stowe: “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”
Through the beauty of memorialization, we all seek to make those tears slightly less bitter, those visits to the grave more welcoming and inspirational.
For my part, I do not want the reshaping of the future of cemetery development to be a deed left undone.
To learn more about fiberglass crypt systems and modular mausoleum solutions, connect with the Global Bronze team.
