Memorial Garden
The Memorial Garden at St. Peter & St. Paul was established on All Saints Sunday, November, 1999 and is an integral part of the church grounds. The Memorial Garden provides a consecrated and well maintained space for the interment of cremated remains of St. Peter & St. Paul members and their families. This garden is a sign to us of God’s promise of eternal life in Christ.
The Memorial Garden is alive and dynamic with plantings that offer year round visual interests so that church members can enjoy the beauty of the seasons during times of quiet prayer or meditation. The Garden also accommodates occasional outdoor gatherings, including the blessing of the animals in October.
Arrangements for Interment
Arrangements for interment of cremated remains shall be made by completing and signing an agreement available at the St. Peter & St. Paul church office. A check for the burial fee should accompany the agreement. For complete policies and procedures, click here.
The current agreement fee is $550 with a deposit of $200. This fee covers the right to inter ashes, the opening and closing of the site, the inscription plaque, and perpetual care of the Memorial Garden.
The fee may change in the future. A parishioner or family member wishing to prepay the interment fee in full may do so. Subsequent increases in the interment fee will not apply to those who have paid in full. Those who have made only a deposit will be subject to subsequent increases in the interment fee.
Prepayments and deposit fees are non-refundable. However, the right to interment may be transferred to another eligible family member or St. Peter & St. Paul member on the written designation of the agreement.
Interment Process
New agreements are not assigned a specific location for interment within the garden. Rather, ashes are buried in available space. As this is a Memorial Garden and not a cemetery, ashes will be placed directly in the earth during the memorial or interment services and consistent with the liturgy for those services. Containers are not to be used so that the cremated remains will return to nature over time, earth to earth. Small nameplate plaques are then placed on available locations on the brickwork of the interment areas.
The Vestry anticipates that the Memorial Garden will be available for the interment of cremated remains in perpetuity. Memorial or interment services shall be planned by the Rector, Associate Rector or their designee in consultation with the family of the deceased.
Decorations and memorials
Plaques are included in the fee and are purchased through the church office. Plaques are of uniform size and will include the dates of birth and death of the individual and other appropriate wording that fits in the space allowed. No headstone, markers, monuments or statues of any kind may be placed in the garden.
Only fresh cut flowers may be placed upon the site of the placement of ashes at the time of interment and on the deceased’s birthday, wedding anniversary and/or the anniversary of death. No individual containers, vases or other decorations may be placed in the Memorial Garden. For those interred in the Memorial Garden who were veterans, a small American flag, no larger than 4” x 6”, may also be placed at the site at the times described above as well as on official patriotic holidays. The above will be removed by St. Peter & St. Paul staff every Thursday.
Gifts
We welcome monetary gifts to honor family members or remembrance of a loved one to be designated for the beautification and upkeep of the Memorial Garden.
The Memorial Garden is alive and dynamic with plantings that offer year round visual interests so that church members can enjoy the beauty of the seasons during times of quiet prayer or meditation. The Garden also accommodates occasional outdoor gatherings, including the blessing of the animals in October.
Arrangements for Interment
Arrangements for interment of cremated remains shall be made by completing and signing an agreement available at the St. Peter & St. Paul church office. A check for the burial fee should accompany the agreement. For complete policies and procedures, click here.
The current agreement fee is $550 with a deposit of $200. This fee covers the right to inter ashes, the opening and closing of the site, the inscription plaque, and perpetual care of the Memorial Garden.
The fee may change in the future. A parishioner or family member wishing to prepay the interment fee in full may do so. Subsequent increases in the interment fee will not apply to those who have paid in full. Those who have made only a deposit will be subject to subsequent increases in the interment fee.
Prepayments and deposit fees are non-refundable. However, the right to interment may be transferred to another eligible family member or St. Peter & St. Paul member on the written designation of the agreement.
Interment Process
New agreements are not assigned a specific location for interment within the garden. Rather, ashes are buried in available space. As this is a Memorial Garden and not a cemetery, ashes will be placed directly in the earth during the memorial or interment services and consistent with the liturgy for those services. Containers are not to be used so that the cremated remains will return to nature over time, earth to earth. Small nameplate plaques are then placed on available locations on the brickwork of the interment areas.
The Vestry anticipates that the Memorial Garden will be available for the interment of cremated remains in perpetuity. Memorial or interment services shall be planned by the Rector, Associate Rector or their designee in consultation with the family of the deceased.
Decorations and memorials
Plaques are included in the fee and are purchased through the church office. Plaques are of uniform size and will include the dates of birth and death of the individual and other appropriate wording that fits in the space allowed. No headstone, markers, monuments or statues of any kind may be placed in the garden.
Only fresh cut flowers may be placed upon the site of the placement of ashes at the time of interment and on the deceased’s birthday, wedding anniversary and/or the anniversary of death. No individual containers, vases or other decorations may be placed in the Memorial Garden. For those interred in the Memorial Garden who were veterans, a small American flag, no larger than 4” x 6”, may also be placed at the site at the times described above as well as on official patriotic holidays. The above will be removed by St. Peter & St. Paul staff every Thursday.
Gifts
We welcome monetary gifts to honor family members or remembrance of a loved one to be designated for the beautification and upkeep of the Memorial Garden.