Secrets to Funeral Planning: Help During Your Time of Need

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4 Ways in Which a Funeral Home Can Assist a Greek Orthodox Funeral

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If you have recently lost a loved one who was a follower of the Greek Orthodox faith, you will want to ensure that you plan a funeral service which follows the religious traditions of the Orthodox faith. Below is a guide to how a funeral home can help you to conduct a Greek Orthodox funeral service.

Providing an Alternative Venue

If there isn't a Greek Orthodox place of worship in the local area, a funeral home should be able to serve as a substitute location. The majority of funeral homes have a chapel room, which can be used to hold the funeral ceremony. You will need to invite an Orthodox priest to conduct the funeral. The priest will bless the chapel and bring religious objects which are essential to the Orthodox faith.

Hosting the Trisagion Service

If there is a local Greek Orthodox place of worship, you may still wish to use the chapel in the funeral home to host the Trisagion Service. A Trisagion Service is usually performed before the main burial rights and consists of song and prayers. This service normally takes place on the evening before the funeral, which means it is not always possible for the local Orthodox church to host it. If this is the case, you should consider using the chapel in the funeral home.

Allowing the Body to Be Viewed 

During an Orthodox funeral, it is traditional to have an open casket so the deceased can be seen one final time. However, not all families are comfortable with the idea of having an open casket. If this is the case, you should ask the funeral home to allow visitors to view the body while it is in a state of rest. Choosing the funeral home option will also allow mourners more time to say goodbye to the deceased compared to the limited time available during a funeral service.

Embalming the Body

The majority of adherents to the Greek Orthodox faith do not believe that a body should be cremated. However, if you do not opt for cremation, you will have to bury the body quickly. This may not provide enough time for family members to travel from other parts of the country or world. A funeral director will be able to embalm the body to you can conduct the funeral service at a time of your choosing.

If you would like further information, you should contact a funeral service today.


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