Committal service is a graveside service in which you commit the body to the ground, or bury the body, but can you have both committal services and cremation services in Monroeville, PA?

Committal services are generally the final goodbye for the family before the deceased is buried. The origin of the phrase “committal” in this context is thought to have been derived from a burial sermon in the Book of Common Prayer that states, “We, therefore, commit this body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life.” As the ritual is usually brief, about 15 to 20 minutes, many families choose to have a committal right after the funeral service, but you can have a committal without a funeral or memorial.

What does all this mean? Yes! You can have a committal service for cremated remains.

Committing your lost loved one to the earth or another burial location is a wonderful way to say goodbye. You can commit the cremated ashes to the ground in a burial urn, or have them inurned in a columbarium niche. In fact, cremation committals often look and feel almost exactly the same as a service for a full body. The urn is often set on a table before the commitment, and some families choose to decorate the table with flowers, photos, and memorabilia. Ready to plan a committal?

Here are tips. First, pick a burial site. Does your family have a plot with other family members? If so, call the office and reserve a plot for the deceased. If not, do some research and choose a cemetery in which you’d like your loved one to be buried. You can often buy a plot directly from the cemetery or from an individual. You also need to connect with the cemetery sexton. The cemetery sexton is the person in charge of running the cemetery’s day-to-day operations.

As such, he will take care of the details for the commitment ceremony like making sure the grave is dug and prepared, bringing the casket or urn to the grave and placed on a lowering device, and getting the surrounding area ready for the service with chairs and other decorations. Choose a flow for the service. You must find an officiant to run the committal, whether that means your pastor or priest or even a family member, friend, or other loved one. Once you gave an officiant, work with them to choose what you want to service to include, such as readings, prayers, eulogies, or a sermon.

If you don’t want a formal service, that’s ok. You can just have attendees say a few short words about the deceased. Finally, keep an eye on the weather. As committals are usually outdoors, the weather plays a big role. Be sure to plan for heat, snow, rain, or wind.

Do you want to learn more about committals? Call or visit us today if you want more tips on committals or information on Monroeville, PA cremation services.

Every day, at least twenty people in the United States alone die due to a lack of organ donations. Tissue and organ donation has wide-reaching benefits, as those who need skin, bones, ligaments, tendons, heart valves, and more often have no other options. While organ donation is a great choice for before cremation services in Monroeville, PA it’s not necessary right for everyone. Should you donate your organs or not? 

There are many reasons to donate your organs, including: 

• Save Lives – It’s a fact that organ donation saves lives. Depending on your donation preferences, your organs can save up to eight different people if you choose to donate your heart, intestines, pancreas, liver, two lungs, and two kidneys. If you choose to donate tissue, eyes, and other parts, your donation can improve and save the lives of even more people.  
• Find Meaning – Death is scary, but choosing to donate your organs will ensure there’s meaning in your death.  
• Move the List – The organ donation list has over 107,000 people! By donating, you are moving the list so those people can get the help they need and so there’s more room on the list for new people that need help. 
• Advance Science – Whole body donation to research is how most medical and scientific advancements are made. Your body can be used to study and treat diseases, development new medical procedures, and educate future generations of healthcare providers.   

Here are some common reasons to not to donate to help guide your choice, like religion.  Many religions forbid organ donation, oftentimes because they believe the body needs to be whole in order to reunite with the soul in the afterlife. The most common religions that discourage organ donation include Native Americans, Shintoists, Confucians, Roma Gypsies, and some Orthodox Jews. There are also personal beliefs. Some feel that organ donation doesn’t save lives, but instead that it only puts off the inevitable. Organ donation is your choice, so this belief is well within your right. Certain diseases or conditions including HIV, heart or kidney disease, cancer, and diabetes make organ donation unsafe for the donor and the recipient, and other people choose not to donate because of distrust. 

Many people don’t want to donate their organs because they’re worried that medical professionals won’t work as hard to save their life so the doctors can harvest their organs. They don’t trust that doctors or hospitals will look out for their best interests. Also, others don’t want to donate because they don’t have any control over the recipient. In most cases, organ donors have no control over who will receive their organs or tissues. Instead, organs go to the next person on the list, no matter the donor’s preferences. Whether any or all of these reasons apply to you, or you’re not comfortable donating for another reason, you don’t have to do it. Simply make sure your family and loved ones are aware of and understand your feelings. 

Organ, tissue, and body donation is a personal choice. No one can decide for you, and no choice is wrong. We are here to help if you want to learn more about body donation or Monroeville, PA cremation services.

Everyone wants to do their part when it comes to the environment, and this includes hosting an eco-friendly funeral or memorial service for a lost loved one. Eco-friendly memorials and funerals have been on the rise, whether they’re at churches, halls, or after cremation services in Monroeville, PA.

These tips and tricks can offer guidance and inspiration if you want to plan an eco-friendly service for your lost loved one. First, recycle and repurpose. Try using repurposed or recycled items for any decoration you may want for the service or wake. You can easily put together beautiful and meaningful decorations while being considerate of the materials and their sources. Try using clean materials like jute and cotton or make the flower arrangements from fabrics to cut back on flower use.

You can also choose to use recycled or organic fabrics instead of synthetic ones. Also, shop local. There are a lot of emissions involved when it comes to transporting goods long distances. If you choose local supplies and vendors for the funeral or memorial, you can greatly reduce the event’s carbon footprint. Not to mention that supporting local vendors is great for the local economy and can also save you some money. What about lighting? If you’re having the service at night or in a dark venue, it can go through tons of energy. Try and use more eco-friendly LED lights to use less energy or invest in candles that you can re-sell or hold onto as keepsakes after the event.

You can also host a daytime funeral or memorial and skip the lights altogether. Don’t forget to shop seasonal? If the wake or memorial service will have food, make seasonal produce a priority when planning the menu. Seasonal produce is dramatically less harmful to the environment than out-of-season food and is also easier to get fresh and in bulk. This is because seasonal produce uses fewer preservatives and fertilizers and doesn’t require lots of refrigeration or greenhouse heating. Plus, in-season fruits and veggies are almost always more delicious and flavorful than other options. Be mindful of paper. Funerals and memorials use a lot of paper. From invitations to programs, menus, and even fans, a lot of this paper goes into the garbage after the service of over.

Make sure the paper products you use are recycled after the event or save on paper items by choosing creative substitutes. Do a chalkboard sign as opposed to programs or send out invitations via email as opposed to on postcards. Also, be aware of what you’re burying with the deceased so you’re not releasing harmful or non-biodegradable materials into the environment. Finally, think about the guest lists. The more guests you have, the bigger the funeral’s carbon footprint will be. If being eco-friendly is important to you, try and cut down the guest list to a smaller number. Plus, the smaller the guest list the more intimate and respectful the deceased will be.

We are here to help if you want to learn more about eco-friendly services or Monroeville, PA cremation services. Stop by and visit us or give us a call today for more information.