Meditation & Memorial Garden
Located near the church's cloister entrance, the Garden provides a tranquil setting for prayer and reflection by inviting us to enter, rest, and treasure the thoughts that may come in silent contemplation.
THE MEDITATION & MEMORIAL GARDEN
The Meditation & Memorial Garden at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is a place of tranquility, peace, and natural beauty to meditate on the lives and contributions of loved ones who are now with us in spirit and memory. Located near the church's cloister entrance, the Garden provides a tranquil setting for prayer and reflection by inviting us to enter, rest, and treasure the thoughts that may come in silent contemplation.
WHAT IS MEMORIALIZATION?
SERVICE OF COMMITTAL
Memorialization gives a tangible form to one's memory of a deceased loved one. To that end, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church offers the following options for memorialization, any of which may be chosen.
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Create a nameplate bearing the decedent's name and birth and death dates, and affix that nameplate to a plaque near the Garden.
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Interring the decedent's cremains within the Garden.
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Interring the burned ashes from a memorial card if the cremains are unavailable.
WHO MAY BE MEMORIALIZED IN THE GARDEN?
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Current and former members of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
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Current and former active non-members
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Children, spouses or partners, parents
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Church staff
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Persons whose cremains or bodies are interred or buried in other locations
Family or friends of persons being memorialized may wish to hold a service during which the decedent's cremains are committed to the Garden. Committal may be part of a funeral or memorial service held in the church sanctuary or it may be the central focus of a simple, brief service held in the Garden. The church pastor, or someone the pastor designates, will help plan the service. The pastor will officiate, though a guest pastor may assist if desired. If weather or ground conditions do not permit a scheduled Committal Service to be held, accommodations may be made for an alternate date.
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All interments are treated with equal reverence. Typically, the cremains are delivered to the church in a plain box from the crematorium, and the church transfers them into the church's vessel that is used for carrying the cremains to the Memorial Garden.
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During the Service of Committal, the officiating pastor pours the ashes directly into the ground, and then covers them with earth. There is no need to purchase a special urn or vessel for this purpose. Memorial plaques bearing the nameplates of those interred or memorialized are mounted on the outside wall of the cloister area.
PLANNING FOR FUTURE MEMORIALIZATIONS
RESTRICTIONS
Plans for memorializing an eligible person can be arranged any time. The requestor should:
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Obtain and read through the Meditation & Memorial Garden information packet.
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Complete and sign the "Meditation & Memorial Garden Agreement."
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Pay the one-time memorialization fee, which covers the costs of creating and installing a nameplate on the Garden plaque, committal of cremains (if applicable), and continuing maintenance of the Memorial Garden. This payment does not cover the
cost of a funeral or memorial
service, a reception, or associated
honoraria.
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All necessary forms and additional
information can be obtained from
the church office.
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Cremains will be interred within the boundaries of the Garden. They may not be enclosed in any type of container and will not be recoverable.
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No part of the Garden may be reserved for the exclusive use of one person or group.
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No markers, decorations, flowers or other objects may be placed in the Garden.
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Pets or other animals may not be memorialized in the Garden.
GIFTS TO THE GARDEN
Financial gifts to support the
Meditation & Memorial Garden
may be sent to the Church at
50 N. Prospect Street, Akron, OH
44304. Checks should be made payable to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church with Memorial Garden in the memo line. Estate bequests may also be made, and a form is available for that purchase - contact the church office.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A detailed packet of information and forms is available from the church office. Please contact Annmarie Demko at (330) 376-5154.