Funeral services are ceremonies held to commemorate and honor the life of someone who has passed away. This type of service is usually organized by a funeral home or church affiliation. In some instances, the surviving family members may decide to conduct the funeral services on their own. But more often than not, funeral services are held by licensed mortuaries and churches.
Funeral services are held for a wide range of purposes, including the burial of the deceased or cremation. But the most common function of funeral services is to celebrate the life of someone who has passed away. There are funeral directors who work only with the dying or bereaved families, while others do all the preparations for funerals. Usually, these funeral directors have relationships with various funeral homes, and they help provide the deceased's final resting place.
Other than that, funeral services also take care of all the funeral arrangements, from the planning of the funeral to the decoration of the funeral site. These include the purchasing of the casket, having it shipped to the funeral home, and the arrangement of the remains. Funeral services also provide the necessary legal documentation such as wills and other documents required by state law.
Generally, funeral services consist of a prayer or acknowledgement, a reading of scriptures at the beginning of the service, the administering of last moments reposing in the form of a funeral candle, and the distribution of funeral materials such as the casket, shroud, and headstone. Some families also opt to have video images taken of the deceased during the funeral service. The distribution of these funeral services is done through the church network or a private agency. It is up to the individual family member what he wants to do with the deceased's remains. There are some families who bury their loved one in a separate cemetery. Although it is traditional to have a funeral for a child, there are also many who opt to have a viewing of the deceased before burial.
While there are many funeral services that are open to the public, some are only open during the week. For example, the St. Patrick's Catholic Church has been holding mass since 1847. They have asked many questions on how best to cover costs for their services, such as renting a church and having it be open to the public. At the time of this writing, they are still working on this plan. Another church in New York called Our Lady of Grace has the option to attend mass every day through the year as it is part of their service program.
There are many funeral services that are private, and they are run by a private agency. These types of services are especially popular because the family members do not have to go through the red tape of dealing with funeral homes and memorial organizations. Many people choose to have these types of services because they can control all matters, such as who speaks at the service, what kind of music is played and other matters. The agency takes care of all details for the family members' convenience.