The Columbarium
Open to all
The Cathedral has provided sacred space for burials and the committal of ashes since its founding in the late 19th Century. Columbaria, places for the both the solemn and repose of cremated remains and the remembrance and celebration and of loved ones, are an integral reminder within the church of the cycle of life and death. Since the 1970s, the Cathedral’s Columbarium has been a peaceful and inclusive resting space for loved ones, joining the luminaries who directed the Cathedral’s first phase of construction and development and who now rest within its walls.
The Columbarium is open to all people from all around the world, from every community and background.
You may visit the Columbarium anytime the Cathedral is open. Please see the Cathedral’s Hours and Info page.
Acquiring a space in the Columbarium
If you are considering purchasing niches in the Columbarium, you are invited to contact the office of the Columbarium to receive our informational documents and schedule an appointment to view the vaults.
- The price of each niche ranges from $4,500 to $7,000 based solely on location (single payment only). One niche is for one individual, and each vault holds up to 4 niches.
- The purchase price includes interment in the niche, the vault-side Committal Service for interment, the urn, the transfer of the cremains into the urn, the cover stone on the outside of the vault and its engraving, and the opening and closing of the vault.
- Engraving: The engraved vault cover stone will bear each individual’s name and dates of birth and death. Engraving is completed in concert with an outside vendor. Columbarium staff will communicate about final approvals and timeline. Please allow a minimum of three months. No other vault covering or decoration may be used.
- Flowers may be placed in the Columbarium. No other items may be left or attached to a vault.
- Vaults and niches may not be resold.
A sacred space
For a new century, the Cathedral has elegantly expanded the Columbarium further into the Chapel of St. Ansgar with an additional 682 vaults, which comprise up to 1,364 niches for the urns. Each vault holds one or two urns, depending on size and location. The capstone is made of Perle Blanc limestone, whose luminous hues embody the Old World atmosphere of this beautiful chapel. The chapel itself provides a quiet meditation space for those visiting and is also a serene place for memorial services preceding committals.
The Columbarium is open to people from all around the world, from every community.
Scheduling an inurnment
To schedule a committal following the acquisition of a Columbarium niche or for a niche you have previously acquired, please email columbarium@stjohndivine.org or call 212-316-7515 with the following information:
- Your full name and contact information (email, phone, and address) and the name of the purchaser of the niche, if different.
- The full name of the deceased as well as their date of birth and date of death
- Your preferred time for a service. Services are held Monday-Saturday. Saturday services incur a $150 staffing fee. Scheduling of Committal Services is at the discretion of the clergy.
- Your preferred plans for delivery of cremains for transfer to our urn: in advance by appointment, or delivered to our staff 1 hour before the service.
Prior to the construction of the Columbarium, spaces for the tombs of the Cathedral’s early leadership were identified throughout this hallowed space. The Founder’s Tomb, located in the High Altar, is the resting place of the Right Reverend Horatio Potter, sixth Bishop of New York, who died in 1887. The tomb of the Right Reverend Henry Codman Potter, seventh Bishop of New York, who died in 1908, is located in the Chapel of St. James. The tomb of the Right Reverend William Thomas Manning, tenth Bishop of New York, who died in 1949, is located in the Fatherhood Bay on the north side of the Nave. Directly below the High Altar, in the crypt of the Cathedral, are the tombs of the Very Reverend William M. Grosvenor, Dean of the Cathedral, who died in 1916; the Right Reverend David H. Greer, eighth Bishop of New York, who died in 1919; and the Right Rev. Charles S. Burch, D.D., ninth Bishop of New York, who died in 1920.
The first portion of the Cathedral’s Columbarium was installed in the Stuyvesant Baptistry, which was designed by Cram and Ferguson. One hundred and twenty vaults were built, constructed entirely of marble, becoming one with the very walls of the Cathedral. Within twenty years, no space remained available.
In the 1990s, the Stuyvesant Columbarium expanded through the east entrance of the Baptistry into the 14th century Gothic Chapel of St. Ansgar, designed by William Vaughn. 500 vaults covered in warm tones of Rojo, Amber and Carrera marble were situated under the two great stained-glass windows by Kempe of London depicting Old and New Testament scenes anticipating the Incarnation, and the Acts of the Apostles in the early Church. These vaults, each comprised of up to 4 niches, have now been designated.
“The capstone is made of Perle Blanc limestone, with luminous hues that embody the Old World atmosphere of this beautiful chapel.”
For more information
For more information about the Columbarium and to inquire about purchasing a vault, please contact the Office of the Columbarium at columbarium@stjohndivine.org or 212-316-7515.
For information about funerals, memorials, and pastoral services, please contact the Office of the Vicar at pastoralcare@stjohndivine.orgor 212-316-7483.