So what should we do with our dad's ashes?? I expressed my dilemma to the Franciscan priest who did my dad's funeral mass and he suggested that I divide the ashes into two. One half can be put in the columbarium and the other half to be scattered in the sea. The reason why ashes are kept in a columbarium is for loved ones to have some place to come to to remember the deceased. Afterall, the spirits of the dead have gone elsewhere. On Resurrection day, all ashes will gather from all over and believers would be whole again. Well at least that's what we believe. I already know that, but just needed assurance from the priest that a sea scattering would be OK too. So... we finally decided to put him in the columbarium because I guess we still wish to remember him in some tangible way. It's not that we want to go against his wishes... we hope his spirit is in a better place, no matter where the final resting place of his ashes may be.
So in the morning, we picked my sis up and we had breakfast at Clementi Central hawker centre. I had malay nasi lemak topped with some yummy sambal cockles! Thereafter we went to the St Mary's columbarium to make arrangements for a niche there. My dad's ashes will be placed in a niche beside his other deceased family members. We bought a marble urn and and then rushed to pick Oli up from school and dropped her off at our place. We had lunch at ABC market before going to Singapore Casket to get my dad's ashes. They had collected the ashes from Mandai Columbarium on our behalf.
Then went back to Clementi to pick Lauren up from her school bus. We went to Alexandra Village where Lauren had her lunch while I tried to close my dad's bank account. I had to get some other things done before I could do so, so it will have to be done another day. We brought the urn back to my place for a while before we proceeded, kids and all, back to St. Mary's columbarium at around 4.30pm.
So in the morning, we picked my sis up and we had breakfast at Clementi Central hawker centre. I had malay nasi lemak topped with some yummy sambal cockles! Thereafter we went to the St Mary's columbarium to make arrangements for a niche there. My dad's ashes will be placed in a niche beside his other deceased family members. We bought a marble urn and and then rushed to pick Oli up from school and dropped her off at our place. We had lunch at ABC market before going to Singapore Casket to get my dad's ashes. They had collected the ashes from Mandai Columbarium on our behalf.
Then went back to Clementi to pick Lauren up from her school bus. We went to Alexandra Village where Lauren had her lunch while I tried to close my dad's bank account. I had to get some other things done before I could do so, so it will have to be done another day. We brought the urn back to my place for a while before we proceeded, kids and all, back to St. Mary's columbarium at around 4.30pm.
A Fransican brother was present to do the rites and prayers for the urn to be placed in the niche. The niche would be temporarily sealed until the inscription of the plaque is ready. Here you can see Bro. John preparing the niche, and the marble urn with my dad's ashes is on the table below. While we were doing the prayers, the kids were rather naughty, messing around with the pebbles and water features around the serene columbarium surroundings. Luckily the Bro. John was very nice.Phew! Another mission completed today! I hope we made the right decision... If not, my sis and I are expecting dreams and visions telling us otherwise! Will post blog if we have any supernatural encounters...*twilight zone music*
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