Grace Cathedral
Life's Big Events
Funerals and The Columbarium
We Are Here for You
The death of a loved one is difficult.
The pastoral staff of Grace Cathedral is honored to meet with you, pray with you and help you plan a funeral or memorial service in times of loss. In the tradition of cathedrals, we also offer a columbarium, where the remains of the deceased can be preserved and honored, or a memorial plaque can be dedicated to the memory of a loved one whose remains are elsewhere.
Please call our main number at 415-749-6300 to inquire about scheduling a funeral or memorial service. Services are held in the nave or one of the side chapels. A person need not have been a member of the congregation or an Episcopalian to have a service at the cathedral. We make a special effort to make services affordable for active congregants and donors.
The pastoral staff is also available to discuss advance funeral and memorial services planning.
The Columbarium
Cathedrals have traditionally laid the departed to rest within their walls, and in keeping with that tradition, Grace Cathedral established a columbarium in 1985. The term columbarium is derived from “columba”, the Latin word for dove, a universal symbol of God’s love and peace.
Our columbarium, the Chapel of St. Francis, is located on the second floor of the cathedral’s Gothic bell tower.
It offers a peaceful and dignified space where the cremated remains of loved ones may be laid to rest and cared for in perpetuity in a beautiful and sacred space. It also offers memorial plaques for those whose remains rest elsewhere.
Both niche spaces and memorial plaques in the columbarium provide a beautiful, peaceful and welcoming space for you to remember the people you love who have died.
Planning a Funeral
Funerals and memorial services are planned in conversation with a member of the clergy. A person need not been part of the cathedral congregation or an Episcopalian for the service to take place at the cathedral. We make a particular effort to make services affordable for active congregants and donors.
Services are shaped within the broad framework of the Episcopal tradition, including The Book of Common Prayer. We plan with care for best practices in the space, be that a side chapel or the nave. We draw from a collection of readings that help to tell the story of God’s love for humankind, and to provide comfort and hope.
If a loved one has died or is near death, please contact us by phone or email.