Columbarium

The Luther Memorial columbarium was organized as a ministry of the congregation in 1996 with the 1997 installation of a columbarium in the west transept of the nave. Since its inception, the columbarium has been a quiet and sacred space where the cremated remains of Luther Memorial members and friends are inurned. A special rite of remembrance occurs in the columbarium every All Saint’s Sunday; those inurned are remembered by the congregation annually, near their anniversary of inurnment.

All are welcome to visit the columbarium during the hours the church is open.

Memory Books

After the service of inurnment, the family is asked to write a reflection for the loved one, and to be both factual and celebratory in their admiration. These reflections are added to Memory Books, which are displayed in a prominent position inside the stone enclosures of the columbarium, where they can be read by church members, the family and friends of the inurned, visiting worshipers and the general public.

A guide is available for loved ones to help them write a page in the Memory Books, or for those who have purchased a niche to enable them to begin writing their own page in advance.

Guide: Writing a Memory Book Page (pdf)

What is a columbarium?
A columbarium is a liturgically proper and aesthetically pleasing group of niches that contain the cremated remains of the deceased. A columbarium provides a safe, theologically sound, and ecologically wise way to honor the dead. It also provides a private place for family and friends to come and pray and to remember those who have joined the church at rest.
Who can be inurned in the LM columbarium?
Members and families of Luther Memorial, along with former members and friends of the congregation are eligible to be inurned. Please ask one of the pastors if you have a question about eligibility. There is also a dedicated set of niches for our “children of grace.” Those children of the heavenly Father who died as infants, as a result of a miscarriage, or were stillborn. There is no cost for little ones inurned in these niches.
What is the cost of each niche?
The LM columbarium has two options for niches, a single niche ($1,500) or a double niche ($2,000). This cost includes the brass urn(s), brass identification plate(s) and stone engraving. Cremation expenses are not included in this cost. Niches may be purchased in installments, with an initial down payment of $500, and annual payments of $500 until the niches is paid in full.
Are niches still available?
Yes. Please contact one of the pastors if you are interested.
How is an inurnment conducted?
Remains are inurned in the columbarium during a committal service. The inurnment usually takes place immediately following the funeral service, but may be scheduled at a later date.

Memory Books

What is a columbarium?

Who can be inurned in the LM columbarium?

What is the cost of each niche?

Are niches still available?

How is an inurnment conducted?

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