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Memorial Garden beauty

St. Paul Memorial Garden

The St. Paul Memorial Garden graces the northeast corner of the church campus, at Brady and Lombard Streets. Whether you’re intrigued with what’s growing in this beautiful space or wondering about the nature of cremation, you probably have questions.

Memorial Garden construction photos

Take a moment to stroll the pathways of the Memorial Garden. Amid shrubs and flowers, the words of Psalm 23 come to mind: “The Lord is my shepherd… he restores my soul.”

See how the garden progressed into this beautiful holy space.

Q&A background

Why does the church have a Memorial Garden?

The St. Paul Memorial Garden is designed as a living testimony to the continuity of the community of saints. This corner is a lovely place set aside to receive the burial of ashes of those from the St. Paul congregation who have died.

Appropriately, the garden is surrounded by our living community, worshiping and working through the daily life of the church. The sacred soil of this garden reminds us of what the scriptures tell us: We come from dust, and we return to God through the dust of the soil.

Every time we walk into the church for worship, or when we have a vibrant outdoor celebration like MayFest, we’ll likely notice the resting place of the saints who have gone before us. We can recall the lives of these saints and bring to mind their names, engraved on the memorial wall.

What does the garden look like?

The garden design, located just east of the 1952 church entrance, is simple, classic, and timeless. A place of quiet and dignified beauty, the garden speaks of faith, hope, and resurrection.
Landscaped terrain is accented by walkways, benches, and a black granite memorial wall. The concrete walkways meet in a central cross-shaped plaza, with flower beds and a memorial wall formed of seven progressively larger granite pieces.

Engraved on this wall will be the names — along with birth and death dates — of those whose earthly remains have been turned into the garden’s soil. Placement of ashes occurs in the low planted areas off the main central plaza.

Benches will provide seating for silent meditation, reading, or even a quiet place for lunch. A larger expanse of lawn accommodates a sizeable group of people attending a burial rite. A small bubbling water feature could be part of a second phase to the garden, providing restful sounds and a lively reminder of our baptismal faith.

Who has been involved in creating the garden?

The Memorial Garden has been designed by Sandy Doran of Shive-Hattery, a local architectural and engineering firm.

Greenspace Associates has provided an array of shrubs and upright evergreens that forms a backdrop for the garden, along with flowering trees that change with the seasons. An irrigation system takes care of broiling summer sun. Attractive trellises will mark two separate entrances to the garden.

What is the church’s understanding of cremation?

The practice of choosing cremation, rather than a bodily burial, has gained wide acceptance among Christian faith traditions in recent decades. Part of this growth is connected with economical factors, including the economy of cemetery land space in dense urban areas.

Because Christians affirm the resurrection power of God, who can make something new, even from dust, the practice of cremation is grounded in faith. The ashes buried in common soil are often referred to as cremains.

Whose cremains may be buried in the garden?

To authentically reflect the St. Paul community, only members of the congregation (who choose the garden as a burial option) will have their names engraved on the wall.

How is the garden project funded?

The Memorial Garden construction is being accomplished outside the General and Building Funds. It is funded entirely through special gifts. Gifts totaling about $24,000 are still needed to complete the project.

To make a gift of any size, please contact one of the pastors or the church business manager:

Vicky Swartzendruber,