The Columbarium by St. Andrew Bobola’s RC Church has been a final resting place for many since the late 1970s. The then Parish Council took the decision to build three and then a further eight blocks for 770 niches. The Columbarium was built on the southern side of the church. This is what is now called the “old columbarium”. In time it became clear that more niches were required, and it was decided to expand the columbarium at the junction of Leysfield Road and Greenside Road. This is what is called the “new columbarium” with a further 485 niches. One of them acts as a common grave. The last, third part of the columbarium, known as the “extension columbarium” added a further 286 niches, parallel to the southern- part of Leysfield Road.

The columbarium (cemetery) is an external, generally accessible place of burial and as such is bound by the regulations for burial cemeteries in England. All the building works, repairs, adaptations and modernisation and care for have been the responsibility of the Parish.

The columbarium is a place of repose of the dead and as such plays the role of a traditional cemetery. The ground upon which the columbarium stands is consecrated. Before the internment of the ashes of any individual the niches are blessed by the priest.

Please note, the columbarium is not a temporary “holding place” and once the ashes of a dear one, are interred, they cannot be simply removed, at a later date. Persons applying for permission for the internment of their own ashes at a future date or their loved ones will be required to sign on behalf of themselves and their legal heirs, an undertaking that the interred ashes will remain in the columbarium in perpetuity and at no stage will the Parish be asked for permission for the removal of the said ashes, apart from very exceptional circumstances.

Agreement for the removal/exhumation of ashes can be given only in very exceptional and fully justified circumstances. Please see below for details (Removal/Exhumation of interred ashes).

1.  The owner of the columbarium is the Parish of St.Andrew Bobola, Hammersmith, 1 Leysfield Road, London, W12 9JF
2.  The person who is registered as being the owner of the niche CANNOT pass on the ownership to any other person – the same applies to the family of the deceased.
3.  The Parish does not issue a document of sale. The only document issued is "certificate of ownership”
4.  In the case of giving up of the ownership of a niche, the Parish will return a part of the price paid at the time of purchase. There will be no revalorisation of the fee paid at the time.
5.  The cost of purchasing a niche, urn, memorial tablet, and flower holders etc., are set by the Parish Council.
6.  All queries and contentions are settled by the Parish Priest, Chair of Parish Council, or the Parish Council at one of its meetings.
7.  The ownership of a niche is governed by terms and conditions, the main one being that this is done on the understanding that the ashes interred remain there in perpetuity.
   Removal of interred ashes can be done only in certain exceptional conditions.

YES. Niches in the columbarium are accessible for parishioners of St. Andrew Bobola and persons connected with the Parish and those recommended by at least two parishioners.

To acquire the rights to inter the ashes of a relative or one’s own ashes you need to:

1. Be a parishioner or be able to confirm that you had been in the past a parishioner for at least several years.
2. Make a written application to the Parish Priest or Chair of the Parish Council.
3. After having received agreement to purchase a niche, agree the details with the Parish Secretary choose a niche which is available and officially register the choice with the Parish secretary.
4. Carry out all necessary payments to cover the necessary costs.
5. Following all necessary payment of fees receive a document of entitlement that the said ashes can be interred in that niche.
   This document is essential for any future actions.

NO. Only a free niche can be reserved. Please note that a niche without an inscription may no longer be available. The reason may be advance reservation.
Detailed information on the available niches can be obtained from the parish office.

You need to:

1. Acquaint oneself with the regulations how the columbarium functions
2. Make an application to the Parish Priest or the Chair of the Parish Council
3. Choose a niche. At present all free niches can be reserved. The choosing of a niche must be made with the Parish Priest or Parish Secretary.
4. Register the niche with the Parish Office, giving its ownership. You will need: the Christian and surname of the person whose ashes are to be interred in the niche, the person who will be registered as the owner of the niche, surname and contact telephone of the person reserving the niche/or and/ having the ownership of the niche.
5. Fulfil the payment of all necessary applicable fees.
6. Keep safe the document of ownership, without which any future changes cannot be made.

Contact the parish office and arrange a meeting.

1. Ownership can be acquired only after the full sum of costs have been paid to the Parish
2. Payments can be made by:
   1. Cash payments
   2. Cheques written out to: PCM Hammersmith
      
   3. Bank transfer to:
      • Sort code: 30-94-57
      • Account no.: 00619171
3. This is a one off payment and does not have to be renewed after a given passage of time.
4. The cost of acquiring rights to a niche is: £1,500.00. This includes the original memorial plaque.
5. The cost of the urn £250.00 (specifications for the niche).
6. The cost of replacing the original memorial plaque with a new one is £170.00
7. All memorial plaques are of a matt-silver finish.
8. Flower holders at request of the owner: £25.00
9. As this is a consecrated place of eternal rest, both as a whole and each individual niche before internment of the ashes, the text on the memorial plaque needs to be approved by the Parish Priest.

All prices shown are as on 1st of January 2024. Prices may be increased depending on circumstances.

The columbarium at St. Andrew Bobola’s is the final resting place of some 1,500 persons. The area of the columbarium is consecrated ground, and the individual niches are blessed before the internment of the ashes. As such it acts very much as a normal RC cemetery.

The removal/exhumation of ashes interred in St. Andrew Bobola’s Columbarium can only be sanctioned in exceptional circumstances.

The procedure to be followed is:

1. Written letter to the Parish Priest and Parish Council requesting for the removal of interred ashes providing a justified reason and indication of where the ashes will be laid to rest.
2. Written confirmation that you are the sole legal heir of the person whose ashes are to be removed and are legally entitled to receive the ashes. In cases where there are several heirs, written agreement of all concerned is necessary for the removal of the said ashes.
3. After a decision has been made by the Parish Council, an appointment time for the collection of the ashes will be made and you will be required to sign a form acknowledging the receipt of the ashes and a waiver of any legal responsibility on the part of St.Andrew Bobola RC Church in case of any future dispute.
4. There is a redemption fee of 50% on the amount paid for the niche and the niche returns to the ownership of the Parish.
5. If you already have a certificate of ownership of a niche this, has to be returned to the Parish Office on resignation of the niche.

Contact details are at the end of this this information sheet.

Return of ownership of reserved niche to the Parish  - i.e. resignation of rights to the niche. In certain JUSTIFIED cases there is a possibility of resigning from an earlier purchase of a niche.

In that case you need to:

1. Contact the Parish Priest or the Chair of the Parish Council
2. Provide the reason for such a decision
3. Return the act of ownership to the Parish Office

If you give up your rights to a previously booked niche, be prepared to pay the redemption fee.

1. If the niche is not used, the parish keeps a quarter of the fee paid.
2. If ashes are deposited in the niche and they are moved to another place of internment / burial, the parish retains half of the fee paid.

The retention of this money is motivated by the costs incurred by the Parish for the upkeep of the Columbarium, cleaning, repair and modernization.

The original memorial tablets date to the late 1970s and 1980s. It is clear, that time and weather have seriously reduced their condition. The Parish as far as it is possible is replacing old memorial tablets with new ones. We are aware that among the over 1,400 urns, the Parish for many of them is their only family, remembering them not only in their prayers but also in the physical sense. For this reason, the Parish Council has sanctioned the exchanging of old, weather worn memorial tablets with new ones where applicable.

What you need to do if you want to replace an existing memorial plaque:

1. Contact the Parish Office by telephone, e-mail or in person during opening hours.
2. Discuss the details of the wording for the new tablet. Any changes to the inscription or changes to their look (emblems, photographs, layout of the inscription etc.) need the agreement of the Parish Priest or Parish Council.
3. Pay the fees for the tablet and its transport (they are produced in Poland).

Installation of a new plate and / or replacement of old ones takes place from April 1 to October 31. It is dictated by technical considerations and weather conditions.

Contact:
Parish Priest / Parish Council
1 Leysfield Road
London
W12 9JF

Parish office e-mail: kancelaria@stbobola.co.uk or church@stbobola.co.uk