Category Archives: Funeral Planning
- 4-24-2013
Talking About End-of-Life Decisions With Your Parent
When we were children and adolescents, our parents had the challenging responsibility of talking with us about difficult topics. Teaching us the facts of life, guiding us to choose good friends, and cautioning us about smoking and drug use were never easy discussions to have. Raising these topics was doubly hard for our parents because Continue Reading
- 10-30-2012
Create a Great Funeral Day
Yes, this is a real “holiday.” Observed on October 30th, this holiday was registered in 1999 as a day for people to think about how they want to be remembered and let your family know your plans. Avoid a “Facelift Funeral” with Create a Great Funeral Day by Gail Rubin acknowledges the fear that people Continue Reading
- 10-3-2012
Regarding cremation, Christian funerals and Burials
The Church’s teaching on funerals, cremation and burial is summarized in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. At number 2300 in that document, the official teaching states: The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in faith and hope of the Resurrection. The burial of the dead is a corporal Continue Reading
- 9-19-2012
Grief: The Loss of Something Good
Excerpted from "Kindred Spirits," written by Archabbot Justin DuVall, OSB “Day by day remind yourself that you are going to die.” —The Rule of St. Benedict, Ch. 4 Bell no. 5 tolls … One stroke for each year of profession … A monk has died. The toll of the bell is the way death is Continue Reading
- 9-5-2012
Questions to Consider Before You Prepay
You may have considered preplanning, or even prepaying, for your funeral arrangements. Planning for your funeral, or the funeral of a loved one, in advance can help you make informed decisions. If you plan to prepay for your funeral expenses, the Federal Trade Commission suggests considering these issues before putting any money down: • What Continue Reading
- 8-1-2012
Embalming Not Required
Most people are under the assumption that embalming is a state requirement. Most funeral homes will require embalming if you plan on a public viewing. But embalming is not legally required if burial or cremation occurs shortly after death, usually within 24 hours. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, a funeral provider: • Continue Reading
- 6-27-2012
What is a Funeral Home GPL?
If you decide to start preplanning for your funeral arrangements, know that you can contact more than one funeral home and request a GPL – General Price List – of the funeral home’s prices. The Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule requires that certain items be listed on the GPL. According to the National Continue Reading
- 6-6-2012
No Casket Required
The cremation rate is rising across the United States. Currently, 41% of the nationwide population chooses cremation over traditional burial. What you may not realize is that you still have options when it comes to the cremation choice. Direct cremation is when your loved one is taken directly from the place of death to the Continue Reading
- 5-23-2012
Casket Choices
The loss of a loved one brings a chaos of emotion. Not only are you mourning your loss you are trying to plan and prepare for a visitation, funeral or a life celebration. And there are more decisions to make than you may realize. The casket is one small part of the funeral, but it Continue Reading
- 5-3-2012
Burial Vault Not Required
If your family is choosing a traditional funeral with full casket burial, you will find yourself deciding whether to buy a burial vault or a grave liner. What is the difference? And is it required by law? You may be surprised that you have more options than you think. Burial vaults or grave liners are Continue Reading