The Church historically has laid the dead to rest with reverence and care in special places set apart in church yards and cathedrals. Now, in keeping with this tradition, churches have established special facilities for the care and safekeeping of cremated remains in Columbariums. The name, Columbarium, is derived from the Latin Columba or “Dovecote,” the dove being the symbol of God’s spirit and peace.
Burial in the church is an ancient tradition. The catacombs in Rome stand as a memorial to the faithful departed. Many monasteries contain an ossuary where the bones of the monks are stored.
In addition, we believe our Christian faith, with its emphasis on death as a new beginning, calls us to offer an alternative to the cost of many burial practices with expensive plots and headstones. Further, we believe that, as Christians, we are stewards of God’s creation. As such, we have a responsibility to make a simple provision for investment in the future by using less space.
Cremation with memorialization is an alternative that provides a respectful way to handle our mortal bodies that is both cost effective and better for the care of our earthly home.