Funeral and Memorial Services held at St. Elizabeth’s, or held elsewhere and led by St. Elizabeth’s clergy, are available to any member of the community regardless of their faith, or the manner of their death. By way of being human, everyone deserves a dignified burial. Please see below for a more complete list of what is available to you and your family in your time of need.

Funerals are rooted in our Christian belief that death does not get the final word, and so our funeral liturgies are grounded in the hope of new and eternal life to come. This makes them Easter liturgies. As with baptisms and weddings, these services follow the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, and begin on page 469, (Rite 1, traditional language) and on page 491 (Rite 2, contemporary language) www.bcponline.org. In a funeral, bodily remains are generally present whether in an urn or casket. The clergy can talk with you through these options and find what works for you, i.e. scripture readings, whether or not you want communion, etc. Eulogies may be part of a traditional funeral service, and are generally offered at the start of the service before the liturgy begins. Details such as eulogies, the readings, and other important factors, can be planned and approved with the clergy. Accomodations are made for funerals held outside of the church, i.e. in a funeral home, hall, etc. Most often, funerals are followed by Commendation and Committal (burial).

Graveside Services are very brief services that happen just before the remains are buried/interred. Graveside services are generally under 30 minutes. They may or may not have very brief readings or eulogies, but it primarily consists of the Commendation and Committal. There is no communion or sermon.

Memorial Services have more flexibility than funerals, and pull from various resources for any readings and music, and these services can be held anywhere. Bodily remains may or may not be present. Memorial Services are often chosen when there is a desire for a less traditional service, but the family still wishes for clergy leadership. Liturgies are approved by both the family and the clergy.

Burials can happen anytime. Clergy can assist with any burial of your loved one be it in a casket, an urn, on land or at sea, and they can happen in conjunction with a funeral or memorial service, either on the same day or at a different time. In the Episcopal Church tradition, we follow a liturgy called The Committal Service. This consists of two parts: a Commendation (where we commend the body of a person to the ground, and their soul to God) and the actual Committal (where we bury the remains). You can find this service on pp. 501-505 of the Book of Common Prayer. These services last anywhere from 5-20 minutes, and traditionally follow a Funeral or Memorial Service. As a stand alone service, it is very similar to a Graveside Service.

To begin the process of planning a funeral, we ask that the death of a member of St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church be reported to the parish office as soon as possible and that the family meet with the parish clergy immediately. Please note that no final plans should be made or service dates publicized before this consultation. St. Elizabeth’s is eager to support all grieving families with prayer and every presence we can safely and faithfully provide.  

Funeral and Memorial Services may take place at anytime, except for federal holiday weekends. Services may take place in our Chapel (seats 40 - open May - October) or in the main church Nave (seats 140 - open year round). Burials in the St. Elizabeth’s Memorial Churchyard may happen March - November only. To learn more about The St. Elizabeth Memorial Churchyard, or to plan a service, or to see a Fee Schedule, please contact the Parish Office.