Funeral Policies at The Church of the Ascension

1. The priest should always be notified in cases of grave or serious illness so that appropriate prayers and anointing may be offered prior to death.

2. The priest must be notified and consulted BEFORE any funeral arrangements are made. Please DO NOT schedule or plan any service with the funeral home until the priest has been consulted.

3. The funeral service will conform to the approved liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer and the readings will be taken from a translation of the Holy Bible approved for use by the Episcopal Church. The liturgy will follow the customs and practices of the Church of the Ascension as outlined in this guide. Options for customization are noted. Non-Christian customs and traditions may be refused.

4. Please review the fee schedule at the end of this document. Please note that there are separate fee schedules for *active, pledging members of the congregation and for non-members or inactive members.

*Active members are those who have been physically present in worship at least 3 times in the past year, and have a recorded pledge over the same period. Those who have been unable to be present due to physical infirmity but have otherwise maintained an active link to the parish may be counted as active members.

5. The priest of the parish has final approval of all liturgies.

6. Flowers for the altar should be arranged through: Art Flower and Gift Shop. 41 N Village Ave, Rockville Centre, NY 516-766-2461. Please note that there is not room in our worship space for large floral tributes; these should be reserved for the funeral home or the graveside. Flowers are not permitted to rest upon the casket.

7. Eulogies and personal remembrances are properly offered during the visitation and a service of vigil prayers and personal remembrances can be offered then. If a visitation is not being held, then one representative of the family may offer a brief (no more than 5 minute) tribute immediately following the homily. Long eulogies and multiple personal tributes will not be offered during the funeral liturgy.

8. The casket may be open during visiting hours, but it will be closed during the funeral service.

9. The preferred funeral is a full mass in church with either the body present in a casket, or the cremated remains present in an urn, followed by a committal at an appropriate final resting place (a cemetery or columbarium). The Burial Office may be said (without communion) for those that wish and this may be done at the funeral home or at the graveside if the family desires. It is perfectly respectable and beautiful to simply say the prayers of the Burial Office without any extra homily or personal tributes, and this should be considered as a minimum for the death of any Christian.

10. If use of the parish hall is desired for a communal meal after the funeral (repast), this must be arranged separately.

11. The Church of the Ascension has a columbarium for the placement of cremated remains in our chapel. Niches may be purchased by contacting the parish office.

12. All fees must be paid either before or at the time of the service.

It make be helpful to review and fill out the funeral workbook below:

You may also wish to view our funeral planning seminar that was held here at Ascension: