COLUMBARIUM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Purpose of the Columbarium

Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish's Columbarium provides a special place for depositing cremated remains of deceased church members, pastors, and their families. The Columbarium contains more than 1,000 niches (compartments), each with the capacity for one or two urns. The size of each slot is 12" X 12".

Management of the Columbarium

Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish manages the Columbarium, maintains a Columbarium diagram, and keeps records regarding niche reservations and persons inurned in the Columbarium. The Columbarium diagram shows the structure of the Columbarium and the locations of the niches.

The fee to Reserve a Niche

We post the fee to reserve a niche in the Columbarium in the Columbarium Niche section. The price includes the right of inurnment in the reserved slot and ongoing care for the Columbarium. The fee does not include the cost of cremation, urn, and nameplate. Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish may change the price, but current niche reservation owners will not be reimbursed or assessed additional costs.

Urns

A niche reservation owner may use his or her urn as long as it fits into the Columbarium niche. All boxes must be sufficient enough in weight that they will remain upright. Jars that have blown or fallen off their base or are not in the proper place will not be permitted. The niche reservation fee doesn't include the cost for the urns, nameplate, and picture.

Plaques or Nameplates

The size and style of the plaque on each niche must be as prescribed by the church. The deceased's God name, full name, and years of birth and death will be on the plaque. The deceased's name will be permanently marked on the urn by the niche owner. The niche owner must order the plate through Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish. Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish may change the plaque price.

Flowers, Flags, Signs, and Other Decorations

Flowers and plants may be placed in or near the Columbarium only as approved by the church. Customers and visitors cannot stick any things on the niches, such as plastic flowers and their holders, and other things that can damage the surface of the slot. Prohibited items may be removed and disposed of by the church without notice or liability to the owner of the item or any niche reservation owner.

Owner's Mailing Address

Each niche reservation owner must notify the church of changes to his or her mailing address and phone number.

Removing Cremated Remains

Cremated remains may be temporarily removed by the church while making repairs or improvements to the Columbarium. Otherwise, remains may only be removed with the written consent of both Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish and a member of the deceased's family or when required by law.

Cancellation of a Niche Reservation by an Owner

A niche reservation owner might cancel the reservation if they haven't paid the niche in full by providing written notice of cancellation and a cancellation fee to Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish. The current cancellation fee is $200 per contract. If the customer has paid the niche in full, the niche owner needs to find a third party to transfer his or her niche reservation. Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish may change the cancellation fee.

Transferring a Niche Reservation

A niche reservation owner may transfer the reservation to a new owner when approved by Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish. The new owner must submit a completed Columbarium Contract to the Pastor or the Church Columbarium Specialist for consideration. If approved, the Pastor will sign the new contract and void the old one to indicate the church's acceptance. The church will deliver the signed contract to the new owner, provide a copy of the canceled contract to the prior owner, keep a copy for the church, and update the church's records accordingly.

Cancellation of a Niche Reservation when a Niche is Not Used

If the remains of the person designated on the final accepted reservation have not been inurned in the niche within five years after the person's death, the niche reservation will be canceled, with no compensation due to the niche reservation owner or the designated person's estate or family.

Ownership of the Columbarium and all Niches

Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish owns the Columbarium and all niches. Niche reservation owners acquire no property rights in the Columbarium, any of its slots, or any of Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish's property. The reservation confers only the right to inurn the cremated remains of the designated person in the identified niche, according to Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish's applicable policies and procedures, as amended by the church from time to time.

Care for the Columbarium and Limit of Liability

Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish will provide reasonable ongoing care for the Columbarium. However, Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish and all persons acting on Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish's behalf will not be liable for any loss or damage to the Columbarium, niches, urns, or cremated remains inurned in the Columbarium. Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish may purchase insurance for its benefit. Still, the church is not obligated to buy insurance for the benefit of niche reservation owners, designated persons to be inurned, or their estates or families. If there is a discrepancy between a reservation form, change the types, or transfer form and the church's records, the church's records control.

Termination of the Columbarium

Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish controls the Niche Reservations and Rights of Inurnment as long as the present Columbarium stands and under the ownership of our parish. If, for any unforeseen reasons that the present Columbarium stops functioning, such as natural disasters, rioters' destructions, civil protests, etc. we will cancel all the niche reservations and rights of inurnment will cease. In that event, Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish will attempt to notify each niche reservation owner. Our parish will cancel the niche booking and reservation. Our church will contact a relative of each person inurned in the Columbarium to remove that the person's remains from the niche. If the church is not able to reach a relative of the person's family using the information in the church's records or if the relative cannot remove the remains within a reasonable period, the church may relocate the remains as it deems proper. No compensation will be due to the niche reservation owner or the person's estate or family.

Amendment or Waiver of Columbarium Policies and Procedures

Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish may, at any time, amend or waive any of its Columbarium policies and procedures temporarily or permanently.

Updated July 29, 2020