Funeral Planning

As a priest in the Episcopal tradition, I deal with plenty of funerals and funeral planning situations. One of the best things you can do for your loved ones is make a plan for your funeral and make sure the paperwork and your wishes are known ahead of time. So many people feel uncomfortable talking about their own death and it leads to their loved ones having no idea what to do when they do inevitably die. All your loved ones want in that moment is to mourn. They don't want to have to make decisions. All funeral homes and churches are happy to help you plan your funeral ahead of time. We have forms which make it easy to go through all the steps and think about all the options, and we will even keep these forms on file for you. All your loved ones need to know then is which church or funeral home to call once your time has passed. So be proactive! Make a plan. Write it down. Put it together with your important bank information and other necessary documents for the time and let your loved ones know where it is. This is one of the most compassionate things you can do for your loved ones. 

Now, when it comes to the options, well, there are some more environmentally friendly options out there. The Green Burial Council out of California has lots of useful information about Green Funeral providers and Cemeteries if you want to go full in. Green or Natural Funeral Homes and Cemeteries have rules about very natural caskets and no use of chemical preservation techniques. These are great ways to cut down on your carbon footprint at the end of your life. If you want to work with a local Funeral home which may not be certified by the Green Burial Council, there are still ways to cut down on your environmental impact in death. Choosing natural caskets and chemical free or formaldehyde-free preservation is a good way to go. If you would rather be cremated, there are a number of brands of biodegradable urns and urns which grow trees. The second option offsets the cremation exhaust with planting a tree with your ashes. 

The funeral market has expanded greatly in the last few decades. Choices abound for ways to be buried, cremated, scattered, or preserved, but not all of them are environmentally friendly. Even in death you can remain true to your principles of caring for God's creation by choosing natural or environmentally friendly ways of being put to rest. Don't forget, plan ahead! Your loved ones may not know that you want these options, so make sure you have them written down.