Roman Catholic cemetery of Oirschot

At the beginning of the 18th century, work was already underway to amend the regulations regarding burials. In 1869, a national law was passed requiring even small villages to establish a public cemetery.

For Oirschot, this meant that burials around the church were no longer permitted. Inside the church itself, burials had already been prohibited in 1829.

Therefore, this cemetery, Sint Odulphus, was established on the Kapelpad. The ground first had to be raised to accommodate the groundwater level. This likely took place around the time the law came into effect.

The mortuary or chapel of rest, dating from around 1880, one year after the cemetery opened, is particularly noteworthy. The sculpture group (Calvary) on the roof is particularly striking. The basket-handle arch niche in the facade originally contained a "Lamentation" painted on chipboard by Oirschot artist Jan Kruijsen, dating from around 1925. After falling into disrepair, this plaque has since been replaced by a natural stone plaque with the inscription "From God's hand into God's hand." Below it are the names of the priests who led the parish from 1830 onward.

Besides many well-known Oirschot residents, several well-known figures from beyond the village are also buried here. Jan Kruysen (painter) and his grandson Bernard Kruysen (baritone singer, particularly famous in France) are buried here, as is John Turing von Ferrier, chamberlain to the King of Württemberg. He lived at Groot Bijstervelt Castle.