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You may now appoint your Church to be your "Funeral Director"

Funeral Homes offer a great number of services to us and we are grateful for the individuals who work tirelessly to help us in times of deep distress. There are many Orthodox Christians who will choose to work closely with local funeral homes and we are glad to recommend a few specifically to our parishioners when needed.

However, more and more people are expressing the desire to handle some of those services themselves, reclaiming ownership of these mercies and keeping their loved ones with them as they are prepared for burial in their home and then brought to Church for the vigil and funeral. The Peace Giving Myrrhbearers Ministry makes these choices available to the Orthodox Faithful in the Austin area. It is not a legal requirement to employ a funeral home and bodies do not have to be embalmed. There are other options, and we are just here to make people aware of those options and to provide alternatives when desired.

Local burial societies are a time-honored and ancient Christian custom - your Parish Myrrhbearing team can meet all of your needs and we will charge only the amount to cover materials used.

The ministry begins at the request of the family of the dying or deceased. Families make contact with their Parish Priest and Myrrhbearing Team.

A team member calls or meets with them to assess their needs and wishes.

The one who is dying is visited, and at the request of the ailing or family members, members of the Myrrhbearing team pray with and for the ailing until he or she falls asleep in the Lord. Prayers are said, the Psalter is read and bedside vigil is held to usher the dying into the hands of his/her Guardian Angel who will take the deceased into the presence of the Lord. The prayers begin before death and continue though the 40-day memorial and beyond.

After repose the burial society prepares the body according to the Orthodox tradition: Praying for the departed, bathing and anointing the body with oils, arranging the body in repose, dressing the deceased in baptismal garments or garments of choice, helping in the preparation for the wake/visitation, funeral services and burial. Family members are welcome and encouraged to help with these tender mercies to whatever degree they desire. Our understanding from members of other burial societies is that this kind of work greatly aids the heart of the grieving and provides a sense of closure and peace.

We will secure the death and bodily transport certificates and arrange for transportation of the deceased to the Church and to the cemetery. Following the funeral and burial rites, the Myrrhbearers will help serve a Mercy Meal to the family and will record the departed soul's name, date of departure and location of grave in a book of records at the Parish. We will also provide clergy with notification for the 40-day and annual memorials for the departed.

We will arrange for a "Picnic with the Departed" once per year at the gravesite of the departed where we will pray the Trisagion Prayers of Mercy for the Departed, sing a hymn, share memories and pictures of our departed brother or sister, and enjoy refreshments and fellowship. May their Memory truly be Eternal.

We are Orthodox Christians offering services and resources for Traditional Orthodox Burial in Central Texas.