Funerals at All Saints
It is most appropriate that whenever a Christian dies, his funeral and burial should be conducted under the auspices of the parish of which he was an active member. Sometimes, however, this is not possible and other times the person who has died is not a member of a church family. Should these circumstances arise, at the request of the family, All Saints parish will provide a Christian funeral and burial for any baptized Christian. All funerals should be held in the parish church itself with Fr. Spencer directing the event with the funeral home professionals. However, many times the use of funeral home chapels or simple graveside services are preferred and we certainly will assist in those cases. It is however preference of the Church that the funeral be conducted at the altar of the parish church. Funerals held here at All Saints should include either the casket or the urn containing remains of the deceased. Music is available though our organist and choirmaster. Flowers are not permitted on the Altar for funerals. It is not appropriate to flood the altar with flowers, however some flowers may be place in the narthex. The service will be conducted using the Burial Office of the Book of Common Prayer (p. 324ff.) This information is meant to give you a basic understanding of what we can do for in the event you wish the church to handle the funeral and burial of your loved one. Please contact our Rector, Fr. Glenn Spencer, at the church office (434-979-2842) or email him. He can guide you through the process and fill you in on all the details of having a funeral here or elsewhere. If you are a member of All Saints, we expect your funeral will occur here at the parish church. If one of our members is at the point of death Fr. Spencer should be called immediately regardless of the hour (434-409-3489). He should also be called immediately when a member has died. The funeral for a member of our parish may include the Holy Communion. This is commonly called a Requiem Mass.
Contact Fr. Spencer for any questions you may have or even if you would like to pre-plan for your funeral.