St. Stephen’s Memorial Garden, located outside behind the Church chancel, is one of the blessings our church offers members. Its beautiful gardens and fountain have been the setting for the celebration of new life, whether in the baptism of a child, the burial of a loved one, or a serene and sacred place to pray.
Through the years families have been blessed by the gift of this sacred space for the burial of their loved ones. What you may not know is that burial plots and granite grave markers can be purchased prior to death at any time. This kind of advance preparation can be a blessing to our families during a very sensitive and emotional time. If you visit the Memorial Garden you will see the markers of families who have prepared in this way.
St. Stephen’s current Cremation Burial Policy, established in the Fall of 2002, provides parishioners and their families internment sites that are 2 ft. x 2ft., in which ashes may be interred directly into the ground without a container or in a container of biodegradable material, wood or cardboard, and a granite grave marker containing the name, date of birth and date of death placed over the burial site. The name of the deceased would be put on a bronze plaque and placed on the Memorial Garden Granite Stone at the entrance of the Garden.
The church is the center of our life together (baptism, confirmation, marriage and worship), therefore death and burial are centered in church as well. A hallowed place of interment adjacent to the church revives the ancient Christian tradition of having the mortal remains of members of the Christian community located as near as possible to the place of community worship. St. Stephen’s Memorial Garden and the members who provide for this sacred space bless us and our loved ones through the entire Christian journey in life. We are grateful.