|
It is most appropriate
that whenever a Christian dies, his funeral and burial should be conducted under
the auspices of the parish of which he was an active member. Sometimes, however,
this is not possible and other times the person who has died is not a member of
a church family. Should these circumstances arise, at the request of the family,
All Saints parish will provide a Christian funeral and burial for any baptized
Christian.
All funerals should be
held in the parish church itself with Fr. Spencer directing the event with the
funeral home professionals. However, many times the use of funeral home chapels
or simple graveside services are preferred and we certainly will assist in those
cases. It is however preference of the Church that the funeral be conducted at
the altar of the parish church.
Funerals held here at
All Saints should include either the casket or the urn containing remains of the
deceased. Music is available though Mr. Roger Sethman, our organist and choirmaster. Flowers for the altar of the church are available through
the Altar Guild of the church. It is not appropriate to flood the altar with
flowers, however some flowers may be place in the narthex. The service will be
conducted using the Burial Office of the Book of Common Prayer (p. 324ff.)
This information is
meant to give you a basic understanding of what we can do for in the event you
wish the church to handle the funeral and burial of your loved one. Please
contact our Rector, Fr. Glenn Spencer, at the church office (434-979-2842) or
email him. He can guide you through the process and fill you in on all the
details of having a funeral here or elsewhere.
If you are a member of
All Saints, we expect your funeral will occur here at the parish church. If one
our members is at the point of death Fr. Spencer should be called immediately
regardless of the hour (434-409-3489). He should also be called immediately when
a member has died. The funeral for an active participant in the life of this
parish may include a celebration of the Holy Communion. This is commonly called
a Requiem Mass. Contact Fr. Spencer for any questions you may have or even if
you would like to pre-plan for your funeral.
|
