After serving as your pastor for almost five years, I have developed some habits of communication that fit certain situations.  One of those happens when I am informed by a family member of a parishioner who has just died that cremation is what they want, or what their loved one chose sometime before they died.  After talking to them about the Church's preference of a funeral with the body present before cremation and interment, I then ask them where they plan on their loved one's cremated remains to be interred.  This is when more than a few people don't have an answer. Options include interment in a cemetery plot or in a columbarium such as the one we have on the chuch grounds.  What is NOT permitted is keeping the cremated remains in one's home for an undetermined period of time.  Scattering a loved one's cremated remains is disrespectful of the person and is definitely not allowed.

I urge all who are considering cremation to decide where you want your cremated remains interred after the funeral liturgy.  If you are considering using our Columbarium or another one somewhere else, it would be advisable to check into prices.  Recently a parishioner who was speaking to me, shared what he thought was the cost of interment in our Sacred Heart Columbarium and was not even close to the actual cost.  Call Buddy Dixon at 922-2811 if you want that and/or any other information about our Columbarium garden as a resting place for you or a loved one.  Making decisions now is the thoughtfgul thing to do.  Perhaps the Easter season, when we are pondering and celebrating the life we will share with the Lord when our earthly life is over, is a good time to think about and make plans for your arrangement of funeral and interment, and make sure you share these with your loved one or ones.  I am always ready to answer any other questions or concerns that you might have on this matter.