Memorial Garden and Columbarium - Grace Episcopal Church

Grace Memorial Garden and Columbarium

Memorial Garden

In the Memorial Garden of Grace Church, as in the Church itself, we mark important life events, coming as individuals or in community to mourn, remember, celebrate, pray, and give thanks.

The Garden is a place for weddings, baptisms, the Holy Eucharist, summer worship, children’s play, and parish activities such as picnics and fairs. It underscores the totality of our life and fellowship together, shared in times of joy as in times of sorrow.

The low stone walls contain urns in which the ashes of the deceased, whose bodies have been cremated, have been placed. Each columbarium niche is marked with a simple plaque with the name of the person and the dates of his or her life.

The Columbarium

The Columbarium was established when the Reverend Charles Greene was rector. The four walls in the inner garden, designed by Nyack architect John Colgan, Sr., who was a member of Grace Church, were built in the 1960s. In 2010 under the leadership of then-rector the Reverend Richard Gressle, new Columbarium walls were added on the north side, walkways were widened, steps were eliminated so that the garden itself is now wheelchair accessible, and the plantings were redesigned and new ones installed.

The current cost of a niche is $2,500, payable in one or several installments to the Grace Church Columbarium Fund, a fund restricted for the perpetual care of the garden.

If not previously paid for, a fee of $300 will be charged to open and close the niche.

The purchaser selects the specific niche from those available. When the chosen niche is paid for in full, the purchaser receives a document, signed by the purchaser and by the rector of Grace Church. A copy of the document is kept by the Church for its records.

There are no denominational restrictions on whose ashes may be immured in the Grace Church Memorial Garden, however the approval of the Rector may be required under certain circumstances.

If you are interested in purchasing a niche or niches, contact the church office to schedule a meeting to visit Memorial Garden, learn the official regulations and procedures, and see the available niches from which you and your family may choose. Many families find it prudent to purchase a niche well in advance of its being needed.

Giving to the Garden

Grace welcomes donations (tax- deductible) for the upkeep of the Garden. Unrestricted money is especially appreciated. Checks should be made payable to Grace Church Columbarium Fund. Call the office to inquire about making a specific gift.

Grace Church Memorial Garden - A tour

The garden design expresses the faith and spirit of Grace Church and the several purposes the garden serves. The walls of the church and parish house, the rectory and the tall trees along First Avenue provide an enclosure for this sacred space, giving a sense of protection as did the medieval cloister.

As you leave the church, turn left and enter the garden through the iron arbor, crafted in a shape that echoes the church windows. It is a memorial to Irene Pyszkowski. On it grows Vitus purpurea, a small ornamental grape, reminding us of the wine of the Eucharist and Jesus’s parables of the vineyard. The holly planted nearby is an ancient symbol of Jesus’s Passion with its blood-red berries and thorny leaves. Straight ahead is the baptismal font.
Pass through the arbor and pause at the Oak Tree to remember the victims of 9/11, two of whom — Stacey Sennas McGowan and Welles Remy Crowther — were children of the parish. The long-lasting oak is a sign of strength.
The bluestone altar with the black granite center stone is inscribed with a Jerusalem cross, symbol of the worldwide church. Worship services including the Holy Eucharist as well as weddings and funerals are conducted here. Built and consecrated in 2010, the altar was given in thanksgiving for the life and ministry of Gail Gressle, parishioner and wife of the rector.
Behind the altar is a bench, remembering former Senior Warden Evelyn Lombardi, which provides seating for priests, lay readers, and chalice bearers during worship services. A semi-circle of arborvitae, the tree of life, memorializes John and Jane Colgan. On the east side are Hellebores foetidus, the Lenten Rose, which blooms when snow is still on the ground.
The fifth stop is the baptismal font, moved to the garden from inside the church. It is made of pink granite with celtic symbols of life and water. At its base are inscribed words from the gospels and the name of Welles Remy Crowther, in whose memory the font was given.
The Bark Maple, just north of the font, was planted in 2019 in memory of long-time parishioner Linda Chisholm, who was instrumental in designing the updated Columbarium and Garden design in 2010. Beneath it grows ivy given to the first rector, the Reverend Franklin Babbitt by the Hudson Valley’s eminent writer, Washington Irving. Irving was given the ivy by Sir Walter Scott from Scott’s home in Scotland.
At the north side of the garden is the Sensory Garden, given in memory of David Jason Draper. Created for all to enjoy but especially those with disabilities, the Sensory Garden features sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. The center tree, a Metasequoia, Dawn Redwood, is one of earth’s oldest trees.
Continuing to the west, the birdbath was a gift of the Brookfield family. Throughout the Garden you will find Stachys byzantina, which Americans call “lamb’s ear” but the British call “the Saviour’s Flannel” (blanket).
At the steps to the chapel is a bronze angel, commissioned in memory of Vincent DeBenedetto.
At the walkway crossing is a tree, a Stewartia pseudocamillia, Japanese stewartia, that was planted in thanksgiving for the life-long ministry of parishioner Jean Duryea.
Rest on several benches, provided for parishioners, the community, and especially our Friends in Recovery.
Turning left at the crossing, you will pass the Children’s Garden that the children of the parish plant and tend.
As you complete your tour, stop to listen to the sound of the Westminster bells, which ring on the hour to the glory of God and in loving memory of Stacey Sennas McGowan, 9/11/01.

Grace Memorial Garden and Columbarium

Memorial Garden

The Columbarium

Giving to the Garden

Grace Church Memorial Garden - A tour

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