Have you noticed...
...the bronze panels with the grapevine design covering most of the wall beneath the Three Prophets windows? They are in the wall of the North Transept, to the left as you approach the altar.
...there are bronze engraved plates on some of the panels? On these engraved plates are the Christian names, as well as the dates of birth and death of the deceased who have their ashes inurned within the Grace Church Columbarium.
...on the Tract Table in the back of the church there are cream and green brochures with a black cross on the front? They are there for you. They explain what a Columbarium is and how to obtain a niche in which to put one’s ashes after cremation.
From earliest Christian times there has been a cherished church tradition of burying the dead within the confines of the church buildings and grounds. In recent years there has been a widespread return to the ancient practice of cremation. This has made the Columbarium a practical and appropriate place for the interment of the ashes of the faithful, where the ashes can be deposited within the structure of the church building itself. Indeed, since the early part of the 1800s, all burials in Westminster Abbey have been cremated remains.
Grace Episcopal Church houses a Columbarium within the North Transept wall. It is maintained in strict accordance with Louisiana law related to cemeteries, and it answers the needs of those who desire a place for permanent committal of ashes on Church Grounds. Present and former members of Grace Episcopal Church and their extended families are eligible to purchase a niche in the Columbarium.
We encourage you to take some time to reflect upon your funeral plans. Also, make certain the church has a copy of your completed FUNERAL PLANS in the Church’s fire-proof file. In the narthex, you will find additional materials about our Columbarium.
Statement of Intent
It has remained the sole intent of the Columbarium Committee to seek Vestry approval, to provide an appropriate place for the inurnment of ashes, to maintain all files, including pre-arranged Funeral Plans and copies of Living Wills, to provide current “Funeral/Columbarium Plan Guidelines” and to review all records for the annual report.
It is the intent of the committee to present, under the auspices of the church, a viable choice and to provide information to enable members to make informed decisions. It is not the intent of this committee to interfere with burial plans or to imply that cremation with the use of the columbarium is the only acceptable choice.
Standing Committee:
Chairperson - Renee Coleman, Gretchen Dean, Phala Wright, Jane Atchison, Vestry Memorial Committee Chairperson, Fr. Bill Easterling, Interim Priest
How to purchase: It is necessary to contact the church office. Certificates of Purchase and Rules and Regulations and Niche Charts are available. Contact the church office at (318) 387-6646 for all information. You will also reference the large Niche Chart to choose your location.
Cost: $600. You will keep the original Certificate of Purchase; a copy will be kept on file at the church. You will keep a copy of the signed Rules and Regulations; the original will be kept in our file.
Other factors: Burial Plans and Living Wills are available in the Church Office. “Funeral/Columbarium Guidelines” are available in the narthex or the Church Office. Please take one home.
Grace Episcopal Church is a traditional Anglican parish committed to the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Authority of Holy Scripture, the use of The Book of Common Prayer, and providing education in a Christian environment through Grace Episcopal School. Our mission as a Christian family is to fulfill our baptismal vows by sharing Christ’s love and teachings; increasing our outreach and service to the community; and strengthening our spiritual growth, service and commitment to each other.
© 2012 Grace Episcopal Church, Monroe, Louisiana
