Funerals
Who Can I Arrange a Funeral?
Contact our church to discuss date availability and procedures bysending an email to: apostolos.andreas.windsor2@gmail.com
Because the church cannot directly liaise with the cemetery regarding available time slots, all arrangements should be made through the funeral directors or the deceased family, who will contact us to arrange a time for the funeral.
If you are using a funeral agency that may not have previous experience with Orthodox burials, please ensure that the priest has the following items available at graveside:
Bottle of olive oil,
Bottle of water,
Soil.
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25).
The Orthodox funeral service marks the commencement of an individual's journey into eternity. During the service, we offer prayers for the departed, requesting God for the forgiveness of their sins and to grant them repose among His saints until the day of their bodily resurrection into the realm of eternity.
Church Documents Required
When booking the funeral service please send the following documents
Copy of the deceased passport
Copy of the Death Certificate Issued
Complete and Return the Funeral Service form
How Long is the Funeral Service?
The service itself normally takes just under an hour.
Which language will the service be in?
The service can be conducted entirely in Greek, entirely in English, or in a mix of both depending on the preference of the family.
Speakers and Readers
You are more than welcome to invite speakers to say or read something at the end of the funeral.
Can music be played at a Funeral?
The only music permitted in the church are the hymns appointed for the funeral service itself.
Cremation
Our faith teaches us that the human being is psychosomatic — made up of both soul and body. The body is an integral part of the human person and participates in our sanctification together with the soul. This is why belief in the physical resurrection of the body is an essential part of our faith, and why the Orthodox Church does not under normal circumstances condone the burning of the body after death.
The Archdiocese may in exceptional cases grant permission for a church funeral to be conducted in connection with a cremation. In cases where this might apply, the family should contact the Archdiocesan offices and obtain permission before arranging the funeral at the church. In these cases, the normal funeral service will be held in church, but the priest will not be able to accompany the deceased to the crematorium.