Prayer, hope and pastoral care

Funerals at St. Nectarios

At the death of a loved one, the Church surrounds the family with prayer and proclaims the hope of Christ’s Resurrection.

Please call as soon as possible: the Parish Office at (847) 358-5170, or after hours the pastoral emergency line at (312) 352-0702. The priest will pray with your family, coordinate with the funeral home and explain each step.

Before a date or time is announced, the funeral home and family should confirm church and clergy availability with the parish.

Candles in the church at St. Nectarios

The Orthodox Funeral

The services honor grief while bearing witness to eternal life in Christ.

Trisagion

A brief prayer service, usually at the wake or funeral home, which may be repeated at other times.

Funeral Service

Prayers, hymns and Scripture ask God to grant rest to the departed and comfort to those who mourn.

Final Farewell

The faithful offer a last farewell, entrusting their loved one to the mercy and love of God.

Burial

At the graveside, the Church prays the Trisagion and commits the body to the earth in hope of the resurrection.

Memorial Services

Memorial prayers and kolyva continue the Church’s remembrance, often at forty days and one year.

Ongoing Care

Our priests and parish family remain with you through grief and remembrance.

The iconostasis at St. Nectarios

Church Practices

Orthodox funerals are ordinarily offered for faithful members of the Church and are followed by burial. The Church teaches respect for the body as part of the whole person and does not offer an Orthodox funeral when cremation has been chosen.

Funerals are ordinarily not held on Sundays or Holy Friday unless the Metropolitan grants permission. Every situation is discussed with compassion, directly with the priest.

Helpful Information to Have Ready

  • Full baptismal and legal name of the departed
  • Date and place of death
  • Funeral home and contact person
  • Hoped-for wake, funeral and burial schedule
  • Cemetery information
  • A family contact person
  • Any questions about Church standing or special circumstances

We Are Here to Help

Please call so our clergy can begin supporting your family and coordinating arrangements.