Columbarium Policies

Policy for Governing the Use of the Memorial Garden and Columbarium

Eligibility:

A. The St. Thomas More Memorial Garden and Columbarium are primarily for deceased members of St. Thomas More Parish.

B. St. Thomas More Memorial Garden and Columbarium are the property of the Roman Catholic Church, under the Bishop of Raleigh.

C. All rules for the assignment of niches and memorial plaques will be set by the Columbarium Committee and approved by the  Pastor of St. Thomas More Parish.

D. Assignment of niches will only be given and held for active, registered members or their immediate family members of St. Thomas More Parish at the time of purchase of a niche(s). Or, if available, other people who are active members of the Catholic Church in other parishes will be permitted to purchase niches or memorial plaques in the St. Thomas More Memorial Garden and Columbarium. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Pastor of St. Thomas More Church.

E. Immediate family members are defined as: spouse, children, siblings, parents, grandparents or grandchildren regardless of religious preference.

Columbarium Committee:

A. The Columbarium Committee will be made up of six (6) members who are registered members of St. Thomas More Parish. The volunteer members, appointed by the Pastor, will serve a five year term and may be reappointed to the Columbarium Committee for additional terms.The Committee membership will include: the Pastor, the Parish Administrator (who will serve as Chair of the Committee), Pastoral Associate, and two volunteer members appointed by the pastor, and the staff Columbarium administrator. Initial members may be appointed for two to six years to ensure continuity of membership. No volunteer committee member can serve more than three consecutive terms.

B. The Columbarium Committee is responsible for assisting the Pastor in the administration of the St. Thomas More Memorial Garden and Columbarium in accordance with the requirements of the Diocese of Raleigh and this policy. In addition to the responsibilities specified in this document, the committee may provide recommendations to the Pastor regarding any matter relative to the memorial garden.

C. Annually, at a minimum, the committee establishes and publishes pricing for niches and memorial plaques.
   
D. The Committee assists in the preparation and submission of an annual budget which the Committee will approve by majority vote. The proposed budget is forwarded to the Pastor for inclusion in the annual budgeting process at St. Thomas More Parish.

E. The Committee provides for and publishes such regulations as are needed for the orderly and appropriate use of the Columbarium and Memorial Garden.

Records:

A. A record of the diagram of the St. Thomas More Columbarium and its niches is maintained by the Columbarium Committee and is available at the administrative office of St. Thomas More Parish. The diagram is kept current on a continuous basis.

B. The vital statistics of all persons who will be or who are inurned in the St. Thomas More Memorial Garden and Columbarium is also be a part of the above record. This information includes the name of the purchaser of the niche, the name and address of the surviving member(s), birth and death dates, a record of membership in the Catholic Church and the fee paid for the niche.

C. Financial records of the St. Thomas More Columbarium are maintained in the St. Thomas More Parish office and a financial statement for the most current year will be available upon request.

D. A record of the minutes of meetings of the Columbarium Committee will be maintained in the St. Thomas More Parish office.

Reservation of a Niche:

A. A niche is available upon payment of the fee in effect at the time of payment.

B. The reservation of a niche and the payment of a fee give the purchaser or the purchaser’s eligible designee (see section 1 for eligibility criteria) the right to be inurned but does not convey ownership of any real estate or property to the purchaser or the purchaser’s designee, whether or not they are eligible for inurnment.

C. No transfer of a reservation of a columbarium niche, whether or not payment of the fee has been made, shall be made to another person, estate, corporation or other legal person or entity. However, the Columbarium Committee may repurchase a niche for just cause. The repurchase price will be the original price paid by the purchaser less: 1) an administrative fee to be set annually by the Columbarium Committee (presently $100) but not to exceed 10% of the purchase price of the niche; and, 2) any expenses that may have been incurred in the repurchasing process.

D. No refund will be made once an inscription has been cut into the stone.

Multiple Inurnments:

A. No more than two (2) persons’ cremains may be inurned in one niche. Only two persons’ cremains who are members of the same immediate family may be inurned in one niche. Immediate family members are defined as spouse, children, siblings, parents, grandparents or grandchildren. Exceptions to the immediate family rule require the written approval of the Columbarium Committee and the Pastor.
 
B. If a stone is inscribed for one person, only one person’s cremains may be inurned in the niche for which the stone is the marker. Once inscribed, the stone will not be changed without the approval of the Columbarium Committee and the Pastor.

C. Only the cremains of humans are allowed to be inurned in the columbarium.

Inurnment Inscription/Urns:

A. There will be no opening, closing, inscription or other fees charged by St. Thomas More Memorial Garden and Columbarium; all such fees are included in the initial fee paid for the right of inurnment or memorialization.  Additional costs could be incurred if a replacement stone is required due to a change(s) in inscription(s).

B. With each niche, up to two (2) standard urn(s) will be provided by the St. Thomas More Memorial Garden and Columbarium. The cost of the urns is included in the original fee for the right of inurnment. Another urn(s) which is (are) of appropriate size to fit in the niche and appropriate material and design may be used with the approval of the Columbarium Committee and the Pastor. There will be no reduction in the fee charged for use of the Columbarium if an urn(s) other than those provided by the St. Thomas More Memorial Garden and Columbarium Committee is used.
 
C. The Columbarium Committee has the responsibility for choosing high quality materials, for maintaining uniformity, and for the procurement of inscriptions.

Columbarium Niche Inscription Content and Style:

A. Inscriptions on the columbarium niches consist of surnames and Christian names and dates of birth and death.
 
B. Inscriptions are in a style approved by the Columbarium Committee.

C. A printing font is selected by the Columbarium Committee and is used in all niche inscriptions.

Flowers and Decorations:

A. The Columbarium Committee, in cooperation with the St. Thomas More Parish staff, arranges for the maintenance of the Memorial Garden and Columbarium.

B. Nothing of either a permanent or temporary nature shall be affixed to or on the Memorial Garden and Columbarium wall surfaces without the written authorization of the Columbarium Committee.

Rites     

A. The rites of inurnment will be in keeping with Roman Catholic forms of worship and prescribed by the Pastor. Any exceptions require the approval of the Pastor.

Cost     

A. The fee at the time when the Right of Inurnment is executed covers the right to inurnment of cremains (including up to two standard urns for inurnment), church fees for opening and closing of a niche, inscription of the niche stone, and perpetual care assessment for the Memorial Garden and Columbarium.

B. The St. Thomas More Memorial Garden and Columbarium and St. Thomas More Church are not responsible for any other costs such as funeral home charge, cremation costs, etc.

Contributions    

A. On occasion, individuals or families may wish to provide additional contributions to the Columbarium for the purpose of adding appropriate furnishings such as seating, art work, or the like. Individuals are encouraged to make monetary contributions as the Columbarium Committee will determine if other contributions are appropriate for inclusion in the Columbarium. The Columbarium Committee is charged with maintaining the Columbarium in accordance with the initial design.

Rite of Inurnment:

A. For purposes of control and clear understanding, a Right of Inurnment shall be executed by all involved parties, including a provision granting full authority to St. Thomas More Church to move, remove, relocate, whether temporarily or permanently, niches with cremains.

B. In the unlikely event that moving, removing or relocating columbarium niches becomes necessary, St. Thomas More Church will endeavor by First Class mail, Return Receipt Requested or other suitable means to notify the families of the deceased of the required move.
 
C. In the unlikely event that removal and relocation of cremains becomes necessary, all costs associated with moving the cremains and plaques will be born by the St. Thomas More Memorial Garden and Columbarium and/or St. Thomas More Parish and/or the Diocese of Raleigh.

Allocation of Funds:

A. The cost of the Memorial Garden and Columbarium are paid from fees paid by those who purchase a Right of Inurnment.
   
B. Funds received from sales will be used to pay for construction through establishment of a construction fund, for supplies/services (urns, inscription, etc.), and establishment of a perpetual care fund sufficient to cover both normal maintenance expenses and any portion of major damage done to the St. Thomas More Memorial Garden and Columbarium which is not covered by insurance. It is expected that in time the interest earned on perpetual care funds will be sufficient to cover the cost of maintenance and upkeep of the St. Thomas More Memorial Garden and Columbarium for the foreseeable future.

C. It is understood that all of the initial funds are used to pay first for the construction of the initial phase of the St. Thomas More Memorial Garden and Columbarium, the columbarium niches, urns, the perpetual care fund and future expansion construction funds, in that order.

D. Monies paid into the Memorial Garden and Columbarium may not be lent for use by or for other events or activities whether or not church related.

Special Consideration:

A. Each year, the Columbarium Committee sets aside a number of columbarium niches, which the pastor can provide at reduced cost, or no cost, based on need.