Columbarium

     St. Stephen Columbarium and Memorial Garden is a special place on church grounds for the interment of ashes of deceased church members and their immediate families.  Columbarium is Latin for nesting place for doves.  For centuries, the dove has symbolized the Holy Spirit.  Early Christians, therefore, associated the small compartments occupied by domesticated doves with storage facilities for cremated remains of their loved ones and friends.

Our Columbarium’s Advantages

1.      A church member’s ashes may be interred in one of the niches of the columbarium on sacred ground, which give loved ones the opportunity to be remembered and honored more often.
    

2.      Gives the congregation an opportunity to memorialize and to give thanks for their contributions in life.
    

3.      People of faith are increasingly looking for ways to frame their lives from beginning to end in ways that witness to their faith.  The columbarium is a vivid reminder that the church is a part of life from birth to after death.
    

4.     The columbarium affords our transitional society the flexibility to move the ashes of their loved ones as they move from one place to another in life.  This has always been a potential concern associated with permanent gravesites and church cemeteries.
    

5.     Our church grounds are a perfect location for the columbarium and memorial garden.  The serene and peaceful surroundings provide a special place for meditation and spiritual renewal.
   
   
   Contact our Columbarium Chairperson, Nancy Thomas at
   925-6274 for more information.