Requiem / Burial
Services
Requiem Policies
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A Requiem, a Mass said for the departed, is the traditional catholic funeral service, with or without the remains present. It is an important ritual of celebrating the life of and bidding farewell to the deceased, as well as allowing the bereaved to grieve and take hope in God.
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"The death of a member of the Church should be reported as soon as possible to, and arrangements for the funeral should be made in consultation with, the Minister of the Congregation" (Book of Common Prayer). If one needs help finding funeral services, we have had good experiences with the Jacob A. Holle & Preston Funeral Homes.
Requiems (with the body, cremated remains, or no remains) are normally done in the Church Building. Interments following the Requiem, if necessary, can be done at the graveside or in the Church's Columbarium (see below).
The service in general follows the liturgy laid forth in The Book of Common Prayer enhanced with elements from the Anglo-Catholic tradition as shown in our typical service leaflet. Our services customarily use chant, incense, and include Holy Communion. The coffin is covered by a pall (simple plain cloth covering) rather than flowers. We do not do "open coffin" services. "The coffin is to be closed before the service, and it remains closed thereafter" (The Book of Common Prayer). Readings must be chosen from the provided options as follows: 1 reading from the Old Testament, 1 Psalm, 1 reading from the New Testament, and 1 reading from the Gospels.
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Musical selections must be approved by the Director of Music and the Rector. Only sacred music on acoustic instruments will be approved according to these parameters: sacred organ music or other acoustic sacred music may be used (no electronic instruments will be allowed). Hymns and songs must come from The Hymnal 1982 (or in some instances from other approved hymnals of The Episcopal Church). No other music, including praise music or choruses, may be used without approval of the Director of Music and the Rector, and then only with acoustic instruments.
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Clergy will officiate requiems for Communicants (see the definition of a Communicant in our information about weddings) and their immediate family members at no cost, though some fees apply (for example, the fee for the organist and soloist).
The following fees for funerals will apply:
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Church Use – $500 (waived for communicants)
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Clergy Fee for Funeral and Committal – $300 (waived for communicants)
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Organist – $250 for communicants and $300 for non-communicants (required for all)
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Soloist – $125 (required for all)
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Attendant Fee – $50 (required for all) plus $25 per hour for each hour the building must be accessible earlier than 1-hour prior to the scheduled beginning or later than 1-hour past the scheduled conclusion of the service. Partial hours are rounded up to the next hour.
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Custodial Fee for Church (required for all) – $50
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Flowers – To Be Discussed
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Parish Hall for Repast – $300 per event lasting 3 hours or less and an additional charge of $75 for every additional hour (waived for communicants)
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Additional Custodial Fee for Reception (never waived) – $100
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See below for costs related to the columbarium.
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Columbarium
Grace Church in Newark's Columbarium (a sacred space with niches for urns containing cremated remains) are available for purchase. The Columbarium is fittingly located directly beneath the Church's High Altar and is accessible by the All Saints Chapel to family and friends of the deceased with the assistance of a staff person.
Single niches are $1,000 plus the cost of the nameplate.
Double niches are $1,500 plus the cost of the nameplate.
The current rate of a single nameplate is set by the manufacturer but is currently about $250. Two nameplates are required for double niches.
Urns for a single niche can be no larger than 8" wide x 11" high x 10" deep.
Urns for a double niche can be no larger than 5" wide x 11" high x 10" deep.
An ideal-sized urn, often used at Grace Church, can be found and purchased online.