What is a columbarium?

A columbarium is a structure built to house the remains of cremated individuals. Some are free-standing structure, like often seen in mausoleums, others are part of houses of worship, such as cathedrals. The word comes from “columba” meaning “dove” and originally referred to the compartmentalized housing for doves and pigeons. Individual compartments house an urn of the deceased and there is usually a marker to indicate the identity of the individual interred therein.