In Hope of the Resurrection
Orthodox Funerals
Prayer, pastoral care and guidance during a time of loss.
The Funeral Service
Pastoral Care in a Time of Loss
The Orthodox funeral service is offered for Orthodox Christians in canonical and spiritual good standing with the Church. This ordinarily means that the deceased was baptized and chrismated Orthodox and, if married, had the marriage blessed by the Orthodox Church.
Every family's circumstances are personal. If you have questions about eligibility for an Orthodox funeral, please speak directly with the parish priest, who will provide appropriate pastoral guidance.
When a Loved One Is Near Death or Has Reposed
If a loved one is approaching death, contact Fr. Ted so that he may come to the family, hear Holy Confession when possible, offer Holy Communion and pray the appointed prayers.
If your loved one has already reposed, contact Fr. Ted before finalizing arrangements with a funeral home. He will guide your family through the Orthodox funeral and burial traditions. Call 647-278-0058 or email fr.ted@mac.com.
Contact the Priest
Speak with the priest before finalizing arrangements with the funeral home.
Funeral Scheduling
Funerals are not celebrated on Sunday, the day of the Lord's Resurrection.
Orthodox Practice
The Orthodox Church provides funeral rites for those who will be buried.
Guidance for Families
Funeral Information
Select a section below for information about Orthodox funeral and burial practices.
- Funeral arrangements should be made with the parish priest in coordination with the funeral director.
- Funerals are not celebrated on Sundays, the day of the Resurrection of our Lord.
- The parish's traditional practice is for the priest to conduct the Trisagion and viewing at the church on the evening before the funeral. The deceased may then remain at the church until the funeral the next day. Please discuss the arrangements with the priest before confirming a funeral-home viewing.
- In accordance with Archdiocesan practice, the priest delivers the funeral sermon and lay eulogies are not given during the church service. Personal remembrances may be offered at the mercy meal, or Makaria, following the interment.
The family should bring the following items:
- A small bottle of wine.
- A small bottle of oil.
- Kolyva, or boiled wheat.
- A saváno, a white sheet used as a burial shroud in the coffin.
The Orthodox tradition does not require organ donation, but voluntary donation may be understood as an act of love. A living donation requires careful consideration and should be discussed with qualified medical professionals and one's spiritual father.
Donation following death may be acceptable when it reflects the known wishes of the deceased or is permitted by the family in harmony with those wishes. The body of the donor must always be treated with dignity and respect.
Organ donation must never be commercialized or coerced, performed without proper consent, or involve hastening a person's death to obtain organs. Families should seek both current medical advice and pastoral guidance when making these decisions.
The Orthodox faith affirms the goodness of creation, understands the body as an integral part of the human person and temple of the Holy Spirit, and confesses the resurrection of the dead. For these reasons, the Church's practice is the reverent burial of the body rather than cremation.
The Church does not ordinarily grant an Orthodox funeral—in the church, a funeral home or another location—to a person who deliberately chose cremation. Memorial services with kolyva are likewise not ordinarily offered in such circumstances.
Pastoral Assistance
Contact Fr. Ted
Fr. Ted is available to pray with your family and guide you through the funeral and burial arrangements.