Soon, I will begin construction on a columbarium in a western Connecticut cemetery. The term columbarium is derived from the Latin columba, meaning dove. So, what do doves have to do with laying the departed to rest? Traditionally, a columbarium is a sepulchral structure with recesses in the walls to receive the ashes of the dead. The walls of cathedrals often have columbaria. But, prehistorically, those recesses were simply hollows in a cliff face, hollows sometimes shared by nesting doves. Thus, the dove became a symbol of love and peace. In the case of columbaria, the dove represents resting in peace.
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