A place of warm and quiet repose for departed love ones. The St. Thomas Columbarium provides for the inurnment of their cremated remains in a beautiful vault structure contained within the walls of the church sanctuary that had been their Parish home. The ashes are deposited in metal canisters and then placed in specific niches that are secured behind the engraved bronze front plates which also serve to identify the placement locations. The comforting words of the 23rd Psalms are chiseled out on the stone centerpiece adorning the vault structure. The columbarium is situated inside on the southwest wall of the sanctuary, and the area is screened off to provide some privacy as visitors sit inside for quiet and loving remembrances. Please see the directory for help in locating loved ones interred in the columbarium.
Work on installing a columbarium at St. Thomas started in June 2000 when many members of the Parish expressed their desires to have an earthly resting place that is situated in a familiar and comforting gathering place. Thanks to the stalwart efforts of the design committee and individual contributors, the completed facility was dedicated in Feb 18th 2001.
On July 10, 2005, an errant car rammed into corner of the church where the columbarium was located and disloged it. Fortunately, the columbarium suffered minimum damage, except that frame was bent and had to be replaced. The columbarium was moved to a temporary location while the walls were being repaired and to await the arrival and installation of the new replacement frame. By October 19, 2005, everything was ready and a special service was held for the transfer of ashes from the damaged structure to the new replacement structure.
While the damaged columbarium was in the process of being repaired, the Vestry voted to order a second columbarium, since most of the niches in the original columbarium have been reserved. The second columbarium is installed on the adjacent wall next to the original columbarium. Please contact the church office, if you are interested in reserving niche space in either columbarium..