Thinking about the end of life can be daunting. But it is one of those life experiences we all face. Celebrating the life of a loved one can be overshadowed by funeral arrangements. Alvernia University offers a beautiful resting place at the Memorial Prayer Garden and Columbarium, a consecrated area near St. Joseph Villa on the Reading campus. Its picturesque views provide a quiet and peaceful final resting spot where families can reflect on their loved ones’ life.
The decision to preplan a funeral takes the burden off the family. Michael Kurpiewski and his wife of 45 years, Sylvia, have decided on Alvernia’s Columbarium as their final resting place. Kurpiewski, an alumnus, started his secondary education at RACC, transferred to Alvernia in 1987 to study computer information and graduated in 1990. One of his favorite professors was Polly Mathys, and Kurpiewski appreciates how she contributed to his career success as a system and database administrator at Bell Labs and IBM. After touring the new John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne, he is happy to see the growth and how students will benefit from a quality education at Alvernia.
With all this history and connection to the university, making Alvernia’s Columbarium the Kurpiewskis’ final resting place was an easy decision. Kurpiewski stated that the Columbarium is a beautiful and unique site that is reasonably priced. Even though he and his wife moved to Pittsburgh to be closer to his two sons, Matthew and Steven, Alvernia is like home to them. It is an environment that is active and looking to the future rather than static and looking to the past, stated Kurpiewski.
Alvernia’s Memorial Prayer Garden and Columbarium values the Franciscan ethos of inclusivity and welcomes all denominations to be interred. The Columbarium provides a limited number of economic and environmentally friendly niches to help family members eternally rest in peace. Each niche can hold up to two urns.
For more information about the Columbarium, please contact Ali Lynn at Ali.Lynn@alvernia.edu or at 610-796-8259.
