Purpose
The Columbarium of Second Presbyterian Church provides a holy place for the interment of ashes following cremation. The Columbarium is a place of worship and celebration; a place to meditate and remember those who have gone before us.
Cremation and the Columbarium
Cremation and interment in a Columbarium is both theologically and biblically sound. The church is the center of life – baptism, confirmation, marriage, and worship – so it is appropriate that death and burial should be centered here as well. A hallowed place of interment adjacent to the church revives the ancient Christian tradition of having the remains of members of the Christian community located as near as possible to the place of community worship. Contemporary Bible study finds no scriptural prohibition of this practice.
Eligibility for Interment
The Columbarium niches and Memorials shall be purchased for and used by the following:
- Members or former members and their spouses, children, and parents;
- Current or former ministers and staff and their spouses, children, and parents.
Requests for exceptions to this policy will be reviewed by the Church Business Administrator and minister(s).
Interment Space
Niches will be used for the interment of cremated human remains (cremains) only. The cremated remains of no more than one person are to be interred in a single niche or urn. There will be no ownership interest or right of tenancy vested by signing the “Interment Rights Agreementâ€.
Purchase of Niches
Niches for the interment of cremains may be reserved for future use by an eligible person upon execution of the Interment Rights Agreement and payment of fees.
Niches will be assigned on the basis of availability. The location and number of the niches will be shown on a master plat maintained by the Business Administrator.
Once a person’s cremated remains have been interred, the cremated remains may only be removed upon approval by the Business Administrator. No refunds will be issued.
Rites and Services
All rites and services relating to the interment in the Columbarium shall be subject to the discretion of and conducted by the ministers of Second Presbyterian Church or their designee. A single arrangement of natural flowers and/or a flag may be used on the day of interment only. Any other modification and decoration of niches is specifically prohibited.
Plaques and Inscriptions
All niches will be covered with identical granite covers. The inscriptions for niche covers and memorial markers will include name and dates of birth and death only. The inscription will be of a standard type style. The size of the lettering may depend on name length.
Fees and Charges
Full Interment Fee $1,800 (includes the urn)
The cremation costs are not covered by fees paid to the church. The niche urn containing the cremains shall be obtained from the church.
Care of Columbarium
A Columbarium Fund has been established and maintained for the ongoing maintenance and preservation of the Columbarium. All fees received will be designated for the Columbarium Fund. It is the intent of the church to maintain the Columbarium in a tasteful, reverent and dignified state. However the church does not assume liability for destruction from vandalism, terrorism or natural disasters.
The Second Presbyterian Church reserves the right to move the Columbarium to another location within the church property or to another location if the Church is moved from its present location. If such a move becomes necessary all cremated remains will be moved by Second Presbyterian Church at its cost and placed in another columbarium.
Memorial Prayer Garden
The Memorial Prayer Garden is an area of the church property available for the spreading of cremated remains. The Policy regarding use of the Prayer Garden is available in the Church office.
Memorial Inscriptions
- For persons interred in the Memorial Prayer Garden $300
- For persons interred elsewhere $300