Columbarium Policies and Procedures

COLUMBARIUM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Good Shepherd Episcopal Church Final Draft: October 27, 2014

Definitions:  The Church is Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, located at 1207 W. Winding Way Drive, Friendswood, Texas.  Vestry is the governing body of the church.  Committee is formally known as the Memorial Garden Committee. The committee is comprised of a group of parishioners appointed by the Vestry and the committee as a whole is responsible for managing the columbarium in accordance with its committee charter as approved by the Vestry.  Parishioner is a member of the church, i.e., a communicant in good standing per Canon 9.2 of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.  Applicant is the person who applies to reserve a niche.  Columbarium is a durable structure containing niches, and used or intended to be used to contain cremated human remains. A columbarium is not a cemetery.  Right Holder is the person or persons, granted a right by the committee and includes the legal successors of the Right Holder, and any person to whom the Right Holder transfers the right under the terms of the Contract and Certificate of Inurnment Rights.  Niche is a space in a columbarium used or intended to be used for the placement of cremated remains (aka ashes) in a suitable container.  Fees include all fees and charges.  Rector shall refer to the clergy person in charge of the Church.  Inurnment is the placement of cremated remains in a suitable container, and the placement of the container containing the ashes into the columbarium.

1. Purpose: The columbarium is a sacred space on the church property for the inurnment of the ashes of a parishioner or an immediate family member. It is intended especially for those who love and have an affinity for the church, that they wish to continue after death.

2. Authority: The committee has the sole authority to determine who can be inurned in a niche and to allow inscriptions to be placed on the engraved face of the niche.

3. Those whose ashes may be inurned in the columbarium include:  A current or former parishioner.  The spouse of a current or former parishioner.  A parishioner’s child, parent or sibling, including a child, parent or sibling by adoption or who is a member of the parishioner’s step-family.  Exceptions for the inurnment of Christians without any familial affiliation to a communicant in good standing of Good Shepherd or without any affiliation to Good Shepherd may be made only by majority vote of the committee.

4. The ashes will be placed in the columbarium niche in the following manner:

1 • The ashes to be inurned will be placed in a specified container which will be placed in a niche in the columbarium. The niche will be sealed with the engraved face. • The particular niche for inurnment may be selected by the Right Holder, subject to the approval of the committee. If no specific request is made, the committee will select a location. • The rites of inurnment will be prescribed by the priest in charge in accordance with Episcopal forms of worship.

5. To ensure uniformity of appearance of the columbarium, the following conditions will apply: • Each container will hold only the ashes of one person. Ashes will be inurned in a container approved by the committee. • The committee will specify the maximum size of the container. • A maximum of two containers may be placed in any one niche. • All memorial engraved faces will be procured by the committee. • Inscriptions are limited to the full name of the person whose cremains are inurned, the date of birth and the date of death. • Nothing may be placed in the niche with the container of ashes. • The placing of boxes, cans, shells, toys, wreaths, metal designs, ornaments, signs, cards, furniture, vases, pictures, artificial flowers, flags or any other such article, embellishment, emblem or ornament shall not be permitted in, on or near the Columbarium. If so placed, the committee reserves the right to have same removed and disposed of without notice or liability to the owner or person placing the same. • Niches may be reserved only by purchase.

6. Fees for a niche in the columbarium are set by the committee: • All fees are subject to change without notice. • An applicant may pay fees in advance on behalf of anyone who is eligible for inurnment. • All fees received will be deposited in a separate committee bank account and used solely for the operations and maintenance of the columbarium. • All fees are non-refundable, except when a request for an exception is made in writing to the committee and as approved at the time by the committee. • Should the Right Holder request that a second family member be inurned in the same niche at a later time, a new inscription will be required. In this instance, the Right Holder will bear all costs of removal, engraving, and replacement of the engraved face.

7. Relocation of ashes in the event of the closure of the church: While there is no current contemplation of the closure of the church at any time in the future, it is nevertheless acknowledged by the applicant that the right may be brought to an end by: the closure of the church or the destruction of (or serious damage to) the property of the church. In any such event the committee shall notify the Right Holder and endeavor to make other arrangements with the Right Holder regarding the ashes.

2 8. Removing ashes from the columbarium after inurnment: While inurnment is intended to be a permanent arrangement, there may be times when it is the family’s wish to relocate the ashes. Such requests made by the Right Holder will be considered and approved at the discretion of the committee. Removal of ashes may be executed only by a person or persons designated by the committee. After removal of ashes from a niche in accordance with this regulation, the niche may be re-allocated. The engraved face will become the property of the Right Holder. The Right Holder is required to pay for a blank replacement face for the niche being vacated. Upon the removal of the ashes and engraved face, the committee is released from all obligations of the committee to the Right Holder from the date of removal.

9. Right Holder Rights: Subject to these regulations and to the full payment of fees, the Right Holder has an exclusive right to have ashes placed in a niche with a memorial engraved face, and to leave the ashes and the memorial engraved face in place. The placement of ashes and an engraved face in and over the niche will be done by the committee on behalf of the Right Holder and at the request of the Right Holder. In the event that the container does not hold all the ashes the Right Holder is responsible for dividing the ashes and for determining the method of disposal of any excess ashes.

10. Damage, loss or theft: • The Right Holder is the owner of all ashes placed in and over the niche. The committee is not responsible for any damages, deterioration, loss or theft of the ashes. • If the columbarium is damaged or destroyed, the committee may repair the columbarium, rebuild the columbarium in its original location, or rebuild it in any other location on the church property.

11. Gifts, Donations and Contributions: All gifts, donations and contributions made to the columbarium may be paid or delivered to the Church and shall be held thereby for the purpose designated. All moneys will be deposited in the separate Memorial Garden Committee bank account and used solely for the operation and maintenance of the columbarium.

12. Review and Revision: This document may be updated as needed, with a majority vote of the committee, upon prior written notice to the congregation. The latest revision of this document supersedes all previous versions. ______The contents of this document were approved by majority vote of the committee, as noted in the minutes of the meeting on ______.

______Committee Chair Name Committee Secretary Name ______Committee Chair Signature Committee Secretary Signature ______Date Date