The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

Dear Friends in Christ,

One year ago, after many months of messy construction and on the Solemnity of All Saints, we dedicated two spectacular additions to our beautiful campus: Sacred Heart Columbarium and Miller Square. Because of our location in the heart of the city, St. Mary’s will never have a graveyard, and for that reason, our columbarium is the only means of providing the possibility for our parishioners and others to rest by the church. After a full year to adjust to the new configuration of our campus, I hope you agree that Sacred Heart Columbarium is a sacred place of singular beauty and grace and a noble structure worthy to stand next to St. Mary’s Church.

This edifice of limestone and steel, of brick and granite, of slate and heart of pine provides space for the final rest of 600 persons, and it will stand as a perpetual witness to the memory of those who here await resurrection to eternal life. Throughout the month of November, in observance of the anniversary of the dedication of Sacred Heart Columbarium, all niches are available for a discount of 5% off the regular price, and details are available in the e-bulletin or by contacting the church office.

At the center of our columbarium stands an eight foot bronze statue of the Lord Jesus under the title of his Sacred Heart, the symbol of his love for each and every human person. The statue is the work of local artist and sculptor Charlie Pate, and it is given in memory of our departed parishioner David Wylie — the first person whose remains were committed to the columbarium — by Mills and Carol Anne Gallivan and their family. From his Sacred Heart, the Lord Jesus calls to us: I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. Please take the opportunity on this All Souls’ Day and throughout November to walk inside the columbarium and pray to our loving Savior for the souls of those whose remains will rest here until the Last Day.

Every jewel needs a setting, and the public square in front of Sacred Heart Columbarium is designed for the congregation to gather after Sunday Mass and on special occasions such as the lighting of the New Fire at the Vigil of Easter. The Square was given by an anonymous donor in honor of our longtime Director of Religious Education, Joann Miller, in thanksgiving for her decades of loving service to the children of the parish. No matter where you park on our campus, we invite everyone to stroll through Miller Square regularly to enjoy the fellowship of your brothers and sisters in the Lord, to visit the columbarium and pray for those whose mortal remains lie at rest, and to savor the beauty of this sacred place which proclaims to all who come here that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Father Newman