Arrange a funeral > Types of funeral > Religious services

In the Forth Valley area the majority of religious funerals are for people associated with the Christian faith. However in our ever increasing multi-cultural society we have looked after funeral arrangements for other faith groups, such as the Islamic community.

The traditions and expectations of different faiths can vary considerably. Your chosen funeral director will provide all information, any necessary guidance and usually make first contact with the minister, priest, faith leader or civil celebrant.

Roman Catholic

A funeral in the Catholic Church would usually involve funeral mass. Funeral mass would expect to last approximately 45 minutes and would normally consist of a minimum of 4 hymns. There would also be readings, offertory, communion and sometimes a eulogy, which the family are normally expected to take part in.

Often there would be a reception of the deceased the evening before the funeral, when the coffin would be received into the church. This brief service would take approx. 20 minutes. Sometimes the deceased will be taken into the church directly before mass, on the day of the funeral. The exact timing and details of this would vary from church to church, but usually the family would carry the coffin into the church. The funeral director will organise this and if necessary provide staff to assist.

The preference within the Catholic faith, in the majority, is towards burial.  We do find sometimes the wishes of the deceased, or the family, are for cremation.

Dependent on the agreement of the priest, a service can be held in the crematorium or in the funeral home, rather than funeral mass in the church.

Church of Scotland

A service conducted by a minister can be held in the Church, in our funeral home, in the crematorium or even solely at the graveside. The format of the service would depend on the venue chosen but would usually consist of one or two hymns, prayers, readings from the bible and a eulogy. The family are welcome, but not expected to take part in the service. Personal music<link to music page choice can also be a part of the service.

The funeral director would usually handle any carrying or moving of the coffin. Depending on the chosen venue though, the family can be involved in this part of proceedings. This is something that would to be discussed with both the funeral director and the minister.

Muslim

A funeral for a Muslim will sometime begin with the deceased being taken home, prior to a service in a local Mosque. Sometimes the coffin is open for this service. After the service in the Mosque, the coffin is taken to the cemetery for burial. The mourners present will usually lower the coffin and then backfill the grave.

The Muslim community have clear traditions and expectations for the care of the deceased. The funeral director will take care of co-ordinating all of these requirements.

Civil Celebrant

A civil celebrant can also lead a religious service. The funeral director can arrange a civil celebrant on behalf of the family. The celebrant will then contact the family to agree a meeting to discuss the service. Personal anecdotes, music choices and any religious content will be discussed at this meeting. The celebrant will then build the service and allow the family to view the content in advance of the funeral, to make any necessary amendments. The venue for the service can be the funeral home, crematorium, graveside or local town/ community hall. Burial or cremation can be arranged. Contact us to find out more.

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