Death and Burial
When someone is near death
If a member of the parish is near death, please notify the parish priest immediately so that the Last Rites may be administered. Please also notify the priest at the time of death so that the “Ministration at the Time of Death” may be said over the body. Calls for these purposes can and should be made at any time of the day or night.
Burial Rite for the Dead (the Funeral)
After a death, surviving family members and/or those responsible for funeral arrangements should contact the church and consult the parish priest. All arrangements for a funeral should be made first in consultation with the parish priest before any others.
Funeral homes are often unfamiliar with Anglican/Episcopal church traditions, customs, and sacraments. Anglican funerals are services of worship. They are properly held in a church rather than a funeral home or other location. Your priest will help guide you toward making appropriate and reasonable decisions regarding the funeral service.
Scheduling should be done in consultation with the parish priest before establishing a day and time. Funerals are customarily held on weekdays, although scheduling a funeral on a Saturday may be possible. Anglican/Episcopal funerals are not conducted on Sundays or during Holy Week.
All church members, regardless of age or health, are strongly encouraged to meet with the priest to plan and record their wishes for their funeral service and file them with the parish office, as surviving family members are often unfamiliar with Anglican burial customs.
There is no fee for funerals for members of Epiphany. If music is desired, the Music Director must be engaged. The Music Director coordinates all music in the parish and is paid directly for her services. Approval of the priest for all music played or performed must be obtained. Additionally, there is a charge for the services of the sexton if the funeral is scheduled for a Saturday. Many families make a donation or bequest to the church in memory of their loved one and choose to gift a small honorarium to the priest.
For our funeral policies in more detail, please refer to the parish's Funeral Customary, available in the church office.
St. Francis Memorial Garden
Members of the Church of the Epiphany may choose to be buried in the church's graveyard, the St. Francis Memorial Garden on the church grounds. Burial in the graveyard is of cremated remains only. Burial plots may be purchased by making arrangements through the parish office. The graveyard is managed by Epiphany's vestry.
"Pietà", illumination from a Book of Hours, Use of Paris, ms. Widener 8, f. 99v, 1499, Rare Book Department, Free Library of Philadelphia.