Watertown (CT) chapel's sale forces removal of burial urns

Via TitusOneNine:

BY SAM COOPER | REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN


A bench is all that marks the memorial garden at Christ Church on the Green in Watertown. With the church up for sale, Episcopal leaders are removing the ashes of former members buried in the garden.

WATERTOWN — Death is eternal, but burial is not.

That is what relatives of 46 former worshippers of Christ Church on the Green are learning after a decision by the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut to remove cremated remains from a memorial garden on the church grounds. The historic chapel was put up for sale last year after half its membership broke away in late 2007 over the national church's stance on homosexuality and other issues.

"You have a situation here, where, by virtue of a sale, the diocese will no longer be responsible for the land, its use, or any care of anything in it," said the Rev. Stanley Kemmerer, priest-in-charge. "It's really an effort to be pastoral."

With a sale to Taft School in the works, he said, the church is contacting surviving relatives to claim the remains. Once the effort is exhausted, he said, remains will be removed and re-interred elsewhere in consecrated soil and the church grounds will be deconsecrated. Taft officials have said they will allow the church to hold services in the building.

But simply disturbing the remains raises the ire of some with loved ones buried in the gardens.

Carol Herman, of Torrington, said her daughter Kristina and mother-in-law, Madeliene Herman, are both buried in the garden.

"What upsets us is they have to move. It's a memorial garden; it's just ashes. Why can't they just leave it there?" she said.

She said the family is planning on taking the remains elsewhere. "I don't want them moved to another Episcopal church," she said. "We'll find our own place for them."

Kemmerer said those with loved ones buried in the garden can contact him about claiming remains at (860) 371-7372.