Memorial Services |
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| Memorial Services are somewhat different from the traditional funeral service as held in a Christian setting. For the most part, in a memorial service, the largest part of the service is spent talking about the person who has died. There is most often no casket or body present, often because there has been a cremation. There are no real "advertisements for church theology" in the service. Our ministers and lay chaplains often spend two to four hours with the family and close friends, just talking and listening to stories about the deceased. The stories provide us with the material we need for creating the personal service, but the time sharing is also about the best grief therapy we can offer. At the memorial service, there may be many speakers, but our ministers or lay chaplains will be the ones who craft the service as they have a lot of experience with managing the flow of emotions throughout the service. We do not restrict ourselves to being the only clergy present, however, if the service is in our church, we require that it have a distinctly Unitarian character and that our staff handles the larger portion of the service. We often work with clergy of other faiths to build a service that is meaningful to family and guests. You do not have to be a Unitarian to have a service in our church. Funeral homes often call us and ask if we can help with a family who has come to them who want a memorial service. We also do services in funeral homes, at gravesides, in mausoleums, and at the location where ashes are scattered. We are often called by families before someone who is ill has died, so that we can meet the person and get to know them and hear from them what would be important in their service. If you are in need of someone to work with you through the issues of grief and a memorial service, we can be a helpful part of the team you build to carry you through difficult times. Call our minister Rev. Marcel Duhamel, or our secretary, Sylvia Furman, at 613-725-1066. |
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