Our Text and Guide
A Christian Ending is a hands-on, step by step manual for the preparation of a body for burial without the assistance of a licensed funeral director.
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The book quickly but carefully instructs the reader on how to deal with the local coroner, hospitals, nursing homes and how to organize a group to perform funerals. The step by step instructions for washing, anointing, dressing and transporting a dead body are clear and concise, leaving little for the reader to discover on their own. Several groups have used these instructions alone to successfully prepare bodies for burial and conduct and in-house funeral.
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Mark and Elizabeth Barna live in Charleston, South Carolina where Mark serves as an ordained Deacon in the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) at Holy Ascension Orthodox Church, Mt. Pleasant, SC. They have cared for both of their sets of ailing parents in their home. They have used the techniques described in the book many times for friends, family, and strangers, accepting no payment for their services. In 2011 they were asked to prepare the beloved Archbishop DMITRI of the Diocese of the South (OCA) for burial in Dallas, TX.
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They will be visiting the Austin Area over the weekend of November 6 -7, 2021 to give a workshop on Traditional Christian Burial and Caregiving. All are invited to attend.
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You may visit Deacon Mark Barna's website, read his blog, or listen to his podcast to learn more about this important resource.
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Cemeteries
The Orthodox Faithful do not currently have their own cemetery in the Austin Area. But rest assured, that wherever you are laid to rest, the Myrrhbearers will see that your gravesite is visited and prayed upon once per year through our "Picnics with the Departed" ministry.
There are several area cemeteries that allow Natural Burials and one in particular has agreed to give us our own section of the cemetery:
Our Lady of the Rosary Cemetery and Prayer Gardens in Georgetown, TX will have several plots available for Orthodox Burials - contact Valerie Groh if you're interested in committing to this location and would like to go in together with other Orthodox Christians to obtain a discounted cost. The regular cost quoted to us is $3,220 and includes a Perpetual Care service.
There is a requirement for the Orthodox Area that Monuments be made from White stone, granite or marble.
The contact person there is Michelle.
You can read about our group tour of this cemetery on our blog post.
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Other Cemeteries in the area offering Natural Burial options are:
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Cedar Park Cemetery located at 101 S Bell Blvd, Cedar Park, TX 78613 - plots currently cost $950 and the contact person is Jan Beck.
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Baghdad Cemetery located at 400 N Bagdad Rd, Leander, TX 78641 - plots currently cost $1,400 and the contact person there is Larry Treadmire.
Here is an interesting bit of trivia about this cemetery!
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Liberty Hill Cemetery located at 16101 State Highway 29 West, Liberty Hill, TX 78642
Plots currently cost $1,300 and the contact person there is Kathy Kennedy.
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The news I currently have about the cemeteries listed above are that cement liners or vaults (additional $1,000) may be required for Natural Burials - however, this may be negotiable based on our Religious needs - I will do more research to verify this information.
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Eloise Woods Natural Burial Park located at 115 Northside Lane, Cedar Creek, TX 78612. Plots currently cost $2,800 and the contact person is ’ Mitzi Byron Chafetz. Note - there are no traditional monuments allowed here - graves are marked with flat stones - impossible to have an elevated cross here - which may conflict with Orthodox tradition.
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DISCOUNTED PLOTS: Another resource for finding a cemetery plot at a discounted rate is this website for the Final Arrangements Network - When someone purchases a plot and then moves away or changes their plans, they can resell those plots to others who may be interested. Often, the plots are considerably less than they are from the cemetery directly.
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Conversely - if YOU have a plot in another place that you no longer need or desire - you may offer it up for sale through this site.
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Burial Plots at Monasteries
There are two Monasteries relatively nearby that have space and allow for Orthodox lay people to be buried on their grounds.
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Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ Monastery
Mother Barbara is the Abbess.
Unfortunately this Monastery is still closed to visitors due to Covid so there is no way to schedule a tour of the grounds here.
Plots cost $2400.
The physical address is:
17671 Co Rd 4057, Kemp, TX 75143
Distance is nearly 3-hrs from Austin
Phone: (903) 498-4474
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Holy Archangels Greek Orthodox Monastery
Father Ephraim is the contact there.
Phone: (830) 456-8218
The physical address is:
2191 Twin Sisters Dr.,Spring Branch, TX 78070
Distance from North Austin is 72 miles,
about 1 hour and 20 minutes to drive.
Contact the Monastery directly for information regarding plot costs and arrangements. Formal advanced contracts are not available, but entering into a relationship of trust with the Monastery will allow you some additional options.
NOTE - If you are buried here, your service will be performed in Greek, but you may ask the Monastery Priest to allow your Parish Priest to attend and pray the service together, if it's within the ecclesiastical boundary.
Caskets & Coffins
First of all - WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CASKET AND A COFFIN?
A coffin is tapered at the shoulder with a removable lid. A casket is rectangular in shape and has a hinged lid.
So there you have it!
I will use the term "casket" in my writing here as an interchangeable term - there are no firm, fast rules about which to use.
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In an Orthodox Funeral the casket is placed facing east with the feet toward the altar. Commonly, there is an open casket to allow mourners to view the deceased, pay last respects and give a farewell kiss, also referred to as ”the last kiss”. After the funeral each mourner passes by the casket before exiting the church.
A removeable lid is preferable because it allows parishioners to gather all around the departed - but a hinged lid that is secured open can also work.
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The Brotherhood at St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Lockhart, TX, under the leadership of Father Ignatius Lozano, ryanmlozano@gmail.com has undertaken casket building for their ministry project. They currently have four caskets built and are making more. The price has not been firmly established but will be in the $1,200 range.
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Father Moses McPherson at Holy Protection Orthodox Church has talent and experience making caskets. You may contact him with questions or inquiries. priestmoses@gmail.com
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Weed Corley and Fish Funeral Homes work with the Jewish community in our area and have simple Pine Caskets on hand for purchase.
Cost of Caskets is currently unknown
Contact: Bea Wallis
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Darren Wallace in Grandview, TX is recommended by Mother Barbara at Holy Nativity Monastery in Kemp, TX.
His Basic Casket is not lined allowing the purchaser to add their own personal touches. All caskets are made with a one-piece lid. The exterior is unfinished. An Orthodox cross is included on the lid of the casket unless otherwise specified. The Caskets are made of Cedar because the price of pine has nearly tripled since Covid. He buys his lumber directly from a mill in East Texas and processes it himself.
The dimensions are: 78'K x 28'W x 19'D
Cost: $950
Additional options:
Liner - A liner includes material, padding, and a memory foam pillow. The color and specific material type can be special ordered if ordered well ahead of time. Otherwise color and material type will be chosen at my discretion. All colors are quite tasteful and material appropriate.
$200
Trisagion - Will be carved into each handle.
$150
Finish - Application of a finish will be made on request. Unless otherwise specified a lacquer finish will be applied.
$300
Delivery options are as follows:
Pick up at manufacturers address - $0
Delivery within 50 miles - $100
Over 50 miles - $100 plus 50 cents per mile.
(It's 146 miles from North Austin to Grandview - so delivery would be $100 plus another .50 per mile for 96 miles - another $48. So around $150 for delivery to our area from Grandview - about a 2 hr drive one way to pick up oneself.)
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Orthodox Coffins by Daniel A. Kowalcheck are made in North Carolina and the price includes shipping - $2400 Basic with 3 bar cross on top, $2900 with stain and Trisagion Prayers on side
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The "Resources" page on Deacon Mark Barna's Website has links to additional options
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A Gift for My Loved Ones
In the Appendix B of Deacon Mark Barna's book are Postmortem Legal Forms to help you plan ahead and ensure things go smoothly for your loved ones after you depart this life.
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Here is a list of those form titles with links to pdf versions you can print and begin to fill out. St. John the Forerunner has these for sale in our bookstore, Christ the Lightgiver Bookstore, printed and bound nicely together with a clear cover. They will cost a little less than $10.
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​(Estate Planning Documents)​​
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Healthcare Power of Attorney
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Advance Directive for Healthcare
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Another Gift for My Loved Ones
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(Funeral Planning Documents)​
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Advance Directive for Funeral Care
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Burial and Funeral Care Instructions
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Here is an alternate form that covers much of what the above documents provide:
Family Records Form "What My Family Should Know"
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IMPORTANT - have conversations ahead of time, communicating your wishes with your family, ESPECIALLY if they are not Orthodox.
Here is a guide to help you plan and initiate the conversation:
Caregiver Resources
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It is important to get your own paperwork filled out for the sake of your family. It is ALSO important to initiate conversations with your loved ones for whom you may be caring in their later days. Here are some conversation starters to determine what your family's wishes are who may not yet have made the necessary plans.
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Conversation starter guide for caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's or Dementia
Burial Shrouds, Crowns and Monuments
Steve Gilbert is the contact person for Riley Gardner Memorial of Austin. He is currently pricing white stone Orthodox Cross monuments for members of our community. Results will be posted here when they become available.
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Reader Dan Rudder in Oklahoma City owns Renaissance Cast Stone and offers several Orthodox style Monuments.
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Teshin Associates and Iconographics sells Burial Headbands or Crowns and Prayers of Absolution.
16070 VIA ESTE ROAD
SONORA, CA 95370
iconographics@teshin.com
209 536 9999
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New World Byzantine shows Grave Crosses Designed and furnished by Andrew Gould and carved by Jonathan Pageau as well as English-language Orthodox burial shrouds, designed by Andrew Gould. They are $65 or $50 for orders of 10 or more (unhemmed)
andrew@newworldbyzantine.com
+1 (215) 605-6982
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eChurch Supplies provides Burial Shrouds printed in Greek - sold for $15.99 and shipped for free from Greece.
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Newrome Press sells a beautiful burial shroud printed in English for $45.
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Burial Shrouds with Matching Cloth Headbands can be purchased for $100 from Daniel Kowalcheck at Orthodox Coffins
e-mail: dkowalcheck@orthodox-coffins.com
or call/text (336) 978-5385
Legal Links
Recommended Reading
There is a wealth of Theology to support a Traditional Orthodox Burial.
Deacon Mark Barna touches on it in his book, "A Christian Ending."
If you would like to learn more about this topic, consider reading:
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"The Departure of the Soul" published by St. Anthony's Monastery.
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"The Soul After Death" by Father Seraphim Rose
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