Holy Trinity and Georgetown University have worked together to renew and preserve Holy Rood Cemetery for the future. In November 2019, Holy Trinity completed constructing a 645-niche columbarium at the cemetery on an easement the University granted to the church.
Other improvements Holy Trinity made as part of this project include:
- Installing an ornamental fence and a gate and a cobblestone entrance area.
- Creating a visitor plaza that provides historical information on the cemetery.
- Planting more than 200 trees and shrubs in the entrance and columbarium areas, and 2,500 blooming Winter Jasmine plants on the Wisconsin Ave., and crypt embankments.
Georgetown University participated in the cemetery restoration by resurfacing the asphalt loop roadway, removing invasive trees and shrubs, and resetting the fallen headstones. The University also performs regular maintenance at the cemetery.
Holy Trinity is allocating a portion of the proceeds of columbarium niche sales to a Perpetual Care Endowment to preserve Holy Rood in perpetuity. In addition, Holy Trinity and Georgetown University have established a joint Management Committee to monitor conditions at Holy Rood and to identify future maintenance needs.
