Catholic cemeteries are signs of hope that provide a place for prayer and witness to our belief in the resurrection promised through Jesus Christ.Mother Joseph Catholic Cemetery of Vancouver began in 1871 and was consecrated St. James Acres on May 20, 1882 by Bishop A. Junger of the Diocese of Nesqually. Originally, the cemetery was just 2.75 acres.

It is the final resting place for Mother Joseph and 169 of the sisters of Providence. Mother Joseph and the sisters were instrumental in the formation of the Catholic faith in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest Washington.

As the Catholic community grew in Vancouver, the number of parishes involved in St. James Acre increased. While the Proto-Cathedral of St. James the Greater parish houses the cemetery office,  St. Joseph, Our Lady of Lourdes and Holy Redeemer parishes serve on the cemetery board to guide the cemetery, which serves all Catholics in Clark County whatever their parish affiliation.

In 2007, it was decided to change the name of the cemetery to better reflect the community it served. In honor of the woman who helped to pioneer the Catholic faith in the region, St. James Acres was formally renamed Mother Joseph Catholic Cemetery of Vancouver.

Over the years, the cemetery has grown to 11 acres. There are two sections for traditional burial, a section for buried cremations and a columbaria for above-ground inurnment.

The cross at the main entrance of the cemetery is the one that graced the bell tower at The Proto-Cathedral of St. James the Greater. It was damaged in the Columbus Day storm of 1962. When the new cross was installed in 2000, the old one was refurbished and placed on the cemetery grounds.

With the improvements and acquisitions of property, Mother Joseph Catholic Cemetery of Vancouver will be serving the Catholic community well into the future!