[Magdalen] Closing a church?

[Kate Conant]

Well, I can't help you.  St Andrew's on-the-Mount had neither a dignified
nor a peaceful death.  In June of 2008, however, the putative date of the
bishop's closing of our church, we had a Eucharist after which we removed
items such as the stained glass Madonna and child which my sister-in-law
Laura Ingles had made and dedicated in honor of her father John Conant.
We tolled the bell.

As for other comments about removal of cremated remains: at St A's we still
have the cemetery intact. However, the Dearborn Woods Presbyterian Church
in Dearborn, Michigan where part of the ashes of my father, the Rev. Dr.
Thomas A. Bailey, were buried (in a Mason jar) in 2004 notified me in 2006
that the church was being sold and the memorial garden unearthed.  I went
back to claim those ashes and still have them on a shelf at my home.  I
don't know what they did about the ashes that were spread in the garden
(such as those of our friend Lois Brough).

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust...

Kate

"What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy, and walk
humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:8

On Thu, Oct 6, 2016 at 12:27 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Does anyone know of any resources telling how a church that is dying can be
> helped to a dignified, peaceful death?  Has anyone had first-hand
> experience of this, either as clergy or laity?
>
> --
> Grace Cangialosi
> Ruckersville, VA
>
> *"Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great
> love."*
> *St. Teresa of Calcutta*
>