St. Mary Garden Columbarium The Saint Mary Garden Columbarium is open every day, weather permitting, and offers the opportunity for meditation in a peaceful and private setting. Saint Mary Garden Columbarium provides an alternative to in-ground inurnment in a sacred and peaceful place for the eternal rest of your loved ones. The Garden Columbarium consists of niches covered with polished granite. The niches are located on the perimeter wall and around the base of the Pietá statue. There are four levels of niches on the perimeter and three levels of niches around the Pietá. Each niche can accommodate two urns. No metal urns are permitted. For uniformity of appearance, the granite front panels will be engraved with the appropriate inscription by the Cemetery’s engraving artist. The exterior facade of the Garden Columbarium is rough granite.
OUR CATHOLIC FAITH Mourning the loss of a loved one, family member or friend, is painful. As Catholics, we are comforted by our faith in the Lord’s promise that those who believe in His name will enjoy eternal life and will be with our Lord Jesus Christ forever. The Catholic Mass of Christian Burial beautifully expresses our faith in the Lord’s promise, the hope of resurrection and our love for the deceased. In May 1963 the Vatican’s Holy Office lifted the prohibition forbidding Catholics to choose cremation. This permission was incorporated into the revised Code of Canon Law of 1983 and as such “permits cremation, provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body.” The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops further clarified that: “the cremated remains of a body should be entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium; they may also be buried in a common grave in a cemetery… Whenever possible, appropriate means for memorializing the deceased should be utilized, such as a plaque or stone that records the name of the deceased.” THE PIETA Saint Mary Garden Columbarium focuses on one of the world’s most famous religious masterpieces – Michelangelo’s “Pietá” honoring the Patroness of our Parish, our Blessed Mother, and her crucified Son, whom Mary cradles lovingly in her arms. The great Renaissance painter, Michelangelo Buonarotti, completed the “Pietá” in 1499. His sculpture is noted for Mary’s youthful beauty and for its polished detail. The original work is located in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. In 1985, the Bluhdorn family donated the replica of the “Pietá” to Saint Mary’s Church. The Ridgefield Press reported that the statue was in need of some attention and through the efforts of Louis and Carolyn McAdams, Susan Scala, Robert Mead, and Gus and Richard Reuter, it was restored and refinished. The Ridgefield Press also reported that as part of his Eagle Scout project, Jeff McAdams and his father Louis created a meditation and contemplation area around the Pietá statue. In 2021 the Bludorn statue was replaced with a similiar replica, due to deterioration of the Bluhdorn donation. THE COLUMBARIUM
ARRANGEMENTS To receive information regarding selection, pricing and the process of inurnment of your loved one in the Garden Columbarium, please contact: Donna Barber Cemetery Office 203-438-3606 Mobile 203-733-4658 For those interested in other types of interment, space is also available in the Cemetery.