Discussing the subject of cremation...

Fantine

Dona Quixote
Supporter
Jun 11, 2005
37,039
13,063
✟1,077,460.00
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Democrat
A church in our town is building a columbarium (a repository for the cremains of deceased parishioners). They will be the second church in town to have one.

My mother's and father's families had burial plots in Catholic cemeteries in NYC. That is where they, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are buried. I visit their graves once a year when I'm in the city, but for the most part no one visits.

We have no family ties where we live (my youngest daughter lives one hour away; one son is in a different state, the other on a different continent.) If my husband predeceases me, I might move myself to be closer to one of my children.

So my question is this: If one or both me or my husband were cremated and our remains placed in a columbarium, would it be authorized to have the cremains removed to a different columbarium if all family members residing in the area were leaving for a different area? I know you're not supposed to keep cremains on your mantle...but it seems as if it would be perfectly fine to move them from one columbarium to another, no muss, no fuss.
 

Colin

Senior Veteran
Jun 9, 2010
11,093
6,889
✟122,403.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Single
Politics
UK - SNP
Fantine ,I would ask the priest of the church where the columbarium is being made .

When my parents were cremated I knew nothing of the ecclesiastical rulings about ashes .

My mother and myself had my dad's ashes scattered on the garden of remembrance in the cemetary , and I did likewise with my mum's ashes .
 
Upvote 0

tadoflamb

no identificado
Feb 20, 2007
16,415
7,531
Diocese of Tucson
✟74,331.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
I don't have an answer for you, but I find your post interesting since I was in NY last Sunday and the pastor's homily showed some insights into Catholics and Catholic cemeteries. We don't get that out West. I'm not sure why.

Sort of related to the subject, there's a decommissioned lighthouse off the Oregon coast that served as a columbarium. I don't think it's going so good, but it was an interesting idea. We spend a lot of time on that part of the coast.

Here's a NYT article on it:

Terrible Tillie, Where the Departed Rest Not Quite in Peace
 
Upvote 0