FUNERALS

Funeral Services are allowed on any day of the year, except on Sundays, unless absolutely necessary and permission is obtained from the Archbishop.

THE FUNERAL SERVICE

The Funeral Service is conducted as it is found in the Orthodox Sacramentary Book (Εὐχολόγιον). After the Service the Priest escorts the casket to the Cemetery where he repeats the Trisagion. At the conclusion he pours oil and sand on the departed one as designated in the Sacramentary Book. 

The evening before the Funeral, the Priest goes to the Funeral Home where he does the Trisagion service over the departed one. 

IMPORTANT NOTES

a) Funerals ARE NOTconducted for:

• Those who have committed suicide, unless it can be proven that they were mentally ill and could not be held responsible for their actions.
• On cremated remains.
• Those who have been cut off from the Communion of the Church either because of heresy, apostasy or schism.
• Those who have not been Baptized Orthodox Christians. The only exception is if the departed one was an infant.

b) NO EULOGY IS TO BE GIVEN IN THE CHURCH BY ANYONE. If a member of the family wishes to give a Eulogy, it must be done during the viewing at the Funeral Home or during the Makaria at the Church's Hall. No exceptions can be made!

c) NO MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS or any other type of music may be heard in the Church before, during and after the Funeral Service for any reason. No exceptions can be made!

BOOKING

To book a Funeral, please first contact the Funeral Home and they will get in touch with the Priest to arrange the Prayers during Viewing and the date and time of the Funeral Service.

Please note that on Funerals, only the name of the deceased is commemorated.

MEMORIALS

Memorials are normally conducted before the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, and are normally served on the 40th day after death (or the Sunday nearest), on the yearly anniversaries of the repose of a loved one, and at any other time the family or friends of the deceased would like to have these special prayers said for the respose of the soul of the beloved family and friends.  

THE MEMORIAL SERVICE

The Memorial Service is a prayer of the living for those who have fallen asleep. Those have been part of the tradition of the Church since the earliest centuries of Christianity. Ecclesiastical writers and Church Fathers who have spoken of them are Tertullian, St. Cyprian, St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Dionysios the Aeropagite, St. John of Damascus and many others. 

Under no condition, should the highly symbolic and meaningful tray of Kollyva (boiled wheat) be omitted in the Memorial Services. 

Memorial Services are not conducted for those who have been excommunicated or have committed suicide. 

IMPORTANT NOTES

Memorial Services (with Kollyva) ARE NOT conducted on the following days because on them we commemorate only our Lord Jesus Christ and our Lady Theotokos in our prayers:

• Between the Feast of the Nativity (December 25th) and the Theophany (January 6th) of our Lord, inclusive.
• on February 2nd (Presentation of our Lord).
• on the Sunday of the Holy Cross (3rd Sunday of Great Lent).
• on March 25th (Annunciation & Greek Independence Day).
• from the Saturday of St. Lazarus to the Sunday of St. Thomas inclusive.
• on all the movable feast days of our Lord that are celebrated during the Paschal period (Orthodox Easter period):
• Mid-Pentecost
• Leave-taking of Pascha
• Ascension of our Lord
• Pentecost
• Monday of the Holy Spirit
• on August 6th (Transfiguration of our Lord)
• on August 15th (Dormition of the Most-Holy Virgin)
• on September 8th (Nativity of the Theotokos)
• on September 14th (Exaltation of the Holy Cross)
• on the Feast Day of St. Demetrios (October 26th)
• on October 28th ("OXI" DAY)
• on November 21st (Entrance of the Virgin Mary to the Temple)

On all the above days the Service of Trisagion can be chanted separately, with no Kollyva.

BOOKING

To book a memorial service, please contact either the Community Office, or Fr. Bohdan directly.

THE SATURDAY OF THE SOULS (Ψυχοσάββατο)

The Church has appointed special dates on Saturdays to commemorate all those who have fallen asleep. At the end of the Liturgy on a Saturday of the Souls (Ψυχοσάββατο) a special Trisagion is chanted and the Priest commemorates at first all the pious orthodox Christians who have fallen asleep. He then commemorates all those names of the departed that are given to him by the people on that day.

These special Saturdays are nowadays the following:

     The two Saturdays that precede the Holy and Great Lent

     The first Saturday of the Holy and Great Lent

     The Saturday before Pentecost

     Also in our Parish we celebrate a special Soul Saturday before the Feast Day of St. Demetrios.

We encourage all our parishioners and friends to join us on these days for the Liturgy and Memorial service so that we may all join our prayers together for the repose of the souls of our departed loved ones.