Grant, O Lord, to all who are bereaved the spirit of faith and courage, that they may have strength to meet the days to come with steadfastness and patience; not sorrowing as those without hope, but in thankful remembrance of your great goodness, and in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those they love. And this we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Funeral Instructions
If you would like to provide Grace Church with an advance record of your wishes, please contact the church office at 703-549-1980.
Burial of Ashes
A columbarium, a sacred place where the ashes of the deceased are interred, has long been a feature of many churches and cathedrals throughout the world. Grace Church can offer parishioners and friends this sacred rite in the Grace Church Columbarium and Garden next to the new narthex under the west window. The Columbarium’s low, semi-circular wall set in a garden provides a place of beauty, simplicity, solace and prayer.
Ashes, placed in individual containers, may be ensconced in niches in the wall or in the ground beneath a stone marker. A bronze plaque records the names and dates of birth and death of those whose ashes are so kept. Ashes may also be buried directly into the ground without a container. This “common” or “in-ground” committal will be done either in the ground beneath a stone marker or in the lawn outside the Columbarium wall. The names and dates of those buried in common ground will be displayed in a public place in the church.
The Columbarium is reserved for the ashes of members and former members of Grace Church, clergy who have served Grace Church, and their baptized forebears, descendants and spouses. Exceptions to this policy will be reviewed by the Columbarium Committee, consisting of the Rector, the Junior Warden, a member of the Vestry, and two parishioners appointed by the Rector.
The cost of common in-ground burial is $200. An in-ground niche costs $400, and a wall niche costs $800. All prices include interment, a marker or plaque, and perpetual care. Cost of cremation and a container is not included.
If you would like to receive an application to purchase space in our Columbarium and Garden, please contact the church office. The parish clergy are available to discuss cremation as an option for Christian burial, as well as to give you a guided tour of the Columbarium and Garden.