The ashes of 17 people are buried in the rose garden at St. David's Anglican Church in North Hollywood, but the burial ground's future is uncertain as the church continues a long-running property battle with the Episcopal Church, from which it disaffiliated years ago.
In a disagreement over the Episcopal Church's biblical interpretations and views on homosexuality, St. David's -- along with All Saints Church in Long Beach and St. James Church in Newport Beach -- seceded from the six-county Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and the national church in 2004.
What has followed has been years of litigation over the rightful ownership of the breakaway churches' buildings and property. An Orange County Superior Court judge is expected on Wednesday to rule on a motion that could determine who owns the memorial garden and the churches in North Hollywood and Long Beach.
The memorial garden, built around 1996, was the idea of Father Jose Poch, the priest at St. David's, after his mother was buried on church grounds in Houston when she died in 1995. The church burial meant so much to Poch's family that he wanted to offer the same opportunity to St. David's.
Poch is concerned that, if the diocese wins the legal battle and sells the property, the memorial garden will be removed or paved. Should that happen, it would be difficult to respectfully deal with the remains because the ashes of each person have been placed directly into the ground, not in a container, Poch said.
More here-
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/north-hollywood-episcopal-church-burial-ground.html
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