Funerals

The Burial of the Dead

The clergy, staff and people of St. James offer their caring support and expertise to individuals and families through those first difficult days. This care begins with the planning of the funeral to celebrate the life of your loved one, while still leaving space for grief and sorrow. We believe that all people are a gift from our Creator, and all people are received into the arms of our loving God when they die. Prior to or at the time of death, please notify one of the clergy. The priest will meet with you to assist with funeral arrangements and to provide counsel and support. Visit the link below for a list of readings and music selections for burial services. 

Readings and Music Selections for Burial Services

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord;

he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live;

and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.  BCP  469

The Burial of the Dead is a funeral rite for burial of a baptized Christian, including anthems, psalms, scripture readings, and prayers. The BCP (Book of Common Prayer) provides both traditional and contemporary liturgies (pp. 469-507). This rite may serve as the liturgy of the word at a Requiem Eucharist. When there is communion at the Burial of the Dead, the commendation and the committal follow the communion of the people and the postcommunion prayer (BCP, pp. 482, 498). The burial rites also include the Apostles' Creed, a special form of the prayers of the people, forms for the consecration of the grave, and additional prayers that may be added after the Lord's Prayer. The BCP also provides an Order for Burial which permits the composition of a rite to suit particular circumstances "when, for pastoral considerations, neither of the burial rites in this Book is deemed appropriate" (pp. 506-507). The BOS provides appropriate texts for the burial of a person who was not a baptized Christian or who rejected the Christian faith. The burial office is an Easter liturgy. The liturgical color is appropriately white, and the Paschal candle should be lighted as a visible reminder of Jesus' resurrection and our hope of life everlasting in Christ. At the Burial of the Dead those who mourn may express grief and sorrow as they share in the community's expression of faith, hope, and mutual support in Jesus Christ.