KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church in downtown Kansas City recently renovated the north side of the church into a scatter garden for the ashes of those who have died.
“The sound of the water and the skyline you can see from here,” said Jim Bogard, who constructed the garden. “It's kind of a little oasis to park in here and kind of reflect.”
St. Luke’s Health System partnered with the church to provide the scatter garden as an option to families whose children die before birth and those who die without family or friends to bury them.
“Before I heard the idea of a scattering garden, I didn’t realize there were individuals who had nowhere to go,” said St. Mary’s rector Sean Kim.
St. Luke’s Health Director of Spiritual Wellness Susan Roberts said she has a network of colleagues who can offer support and financial backing for cremation to allow people to find their final resting place at the church.
“It is kind of this lovely connection between all of us that we all are working for the same purpose to give people a place of dignity to rest in peace,” she said.
Parrishner and junior warden Philip Lofflin jumped at the chance to design the space.
“And I just put pencil to paper and came up with a design,” he said. “First one I’ve ever done.”
Ruth Rinehart and her late husband Tom are the donors behind the project.
“For what they have added to my life and then to Tom’s life, we are very happy to leave an impact for them as well,” Rinehart said.
Tom didn’t get to see the garden before he passed, but his ashes were the first to find a final resting place in the garden.
“I know Tom would be very proud of this, would just love it,” she said.
Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church is located at the corner of 13th and Holmes.
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