Funerals

Funeral services are conducted only for those people who are Orthodox Christians in regular Canonical and Spiritual standing with the Church. In other words, only those people who have been Baptized and Chrismated in the Orthodox Church and have had their marriage blessed in the Orthodox Church are eligible for an Orthodox Christian Funeral.

 

Should there be a death in the family, the following steps should be taken:

  1. Immediately notify the family doctor or the County Medical Examiner if the death occurs at home. He or she must examine the deceased and sign the death certificate. The body cannot be removed otherwise.

  2. Call the priest.

  3. Call the funeral director of your choice.

Funeral Arrangements

  1. Arrangements for the funeral service should be made with the priest in conjunction with the funeral director.

  2. No funerals are permitted on Sunday, the day of the Resurrection of our Lord.

  3. The priest will conduct a Trisagion at the funeral home on the evening before the funeral.

  4. No lay person is permitted to deliver a funeral oration in the Church. The Archdiocese explicitly prohibits lay people speaking in Church unless they are lay preachers designated by the Archdiocese. Family or friends who wish to offer a eulogy are recommended to do so at the makaria (meal after the Funeral Service).

  5. Funeral services conducted by lay organizations, although discouraged, may be held the evening before the funeral and prior to the Trisagion conducted by the priest. However, from the time of the evening Trisagion to the committal at the cemetery, no other services may be held.

A Funeral Service May Not Be Held in Cases of:

Suicide — Only when permission of the Bishop is given can a Church funeral be held.

Cremation


Memorial Donations

Some families prefer Memorial Donations to the Church in lieu of flowers. If this is the choice of the family, mention should be made to the funeral director so that notification can be placed in the Obituary. Acknowledgments to the donors are made by the Church Office and a list sent to the family.


Makaria

The Makaria meal following the funeral service serves as a means of comforting the bereaved family and expressing thanks to those who attended the services or assisted the bereaved family in their hour of grief. It is also a time set aside for family and friends to celebrate the life of the deceased. Please contact our Church office of you would like to use our Church's facilities and or caterer.

Memorial Services

If you desire to have a Memorial Service for a departed loved one you should make arrangements with the church office at least two weeks prior to the day desired.
Memorial Services are not held:

  1. All Holy Days of our Lord: Christmas, Epiphany, Pascha, Transfiguration, etc.

  2. From the Saturday of Lazarus to and including St. Thomas Sunday

  3. Pentecost Sunday

  4. The Dormition of the Theotokos (Koimoisis)

Memorial Services are usually held on the:

  1. 40th day

  2. Sixth month

  3. First, Second, & Third years

  4. Saturday of the Souls set aside throughout the Church Year

What you should bring:

  1. Koliva (Call the church office if you want someone to make the koliva)

  2. Prosphora (offering bread)(prosfora/prosforon)

  3. List of names to be commemorated (print first name only)

Visting Clergy
If you wish to invite a priest from one of the neighboring communities for a baptism, wedding, or funeral, you must notify Fr. Christos. In addition to your personal invitation, Fr. Christos, after receiving permission from the Bishop, must also extend his personal invitation to the proposed visiting priest if he is to participate in the services.