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Orthodox Funeral in Tampa Bay, Funeral Liturgy at St. Michael

When someone we love falls asleep in the Lord, the first thing we do is pray. The second thing we do is call the Parish Priest. Everything else, the funeral home, the cemetery, the family arriving from out of town, can be arranged around the prayers of the Church. The prayers come first.

This page is for families in Tampa Bay who need an Orthodox funeral and want to know how it is done at St. Michael. It is also for funeral directors who are working with an Orthodox family for the first time and want to coordinate well.

The first call: Fr. Stephen, before the funeral home

If your loved one is gravely ill or has just reposed, please call Fr. Stephen Siniari as soon as you are able.

Call him before you sign anything with a funeral home. The funeral home will set times and procedures that need to fit with the prayers of the Church, and it is much easier to coordinate from the beginning than to fix scheduling problems later. Fr. Stephen will guide you on what to ask for, and which Tampa Bay funeral homes have worked well with our parish before.

If the death has not yet happened and your loved one wishes to receive the Holy Mysteries, Fr. Stephen will come to the bedside for Confession, Holy Communion, and Holy Unction. Do not wait. The Church wants to be present in this hour.

Working with the funeral home

The funeral home handles the legal and practical side: death certificate, transport, embalming if the family chooses, the casket, the cemetery arrangements, and the obituary. The parish handles the prayers. The two pieces fit together like this:

  1. Repose. The funeral home takes the body into their care. Preparation for viewing usually takes one to two days.
  2. Wake at the funeral home. Fr. Stephen comes to the funeral home, usually the evening before the funeral Liturgy, to serve the Trisagion (Парастас), a short memorial service over the body. Family and friends gather, the casket is open, and the parish prays together.
  3. Funeral Liturgy at St. Michael. The body is brought to our church for the funeral Liturgy. The casket remains open throughout, as is the Orthodox custom.
  4. Procession to the cemetery. Fr. Stephen accompanies the family to the graveside for the final prayers and the committal.
  5. Mercy meal. The family gathers afterward for a meal of remembrance, sometimes at the parish hall, sometimes at a restaurant. Many families ask Fr. Stephen to offer the blessing.

Most Tampa Bay funeral homes are familiar with Orthodox practice. If you are choosing a funeral home and would like a recommendation, ask Fr. Stephen. He has worked with directors across Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco counties and can point you to one that will treat your family with care.

The Trisagion at the wake

The Trisagion is a short memorial service, about fifteen to twenty minutes, sung over the body at the funeral home the evening before the funeral. The name comes from the hymn “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us,” which is sung three times.

The casket is open. A small icon, usually of the Lord or the Theotokos, is placed in the hands of the departed. A cross is laid on the chest. Candles are lit at the head and foot of the casket. The family stands close. Fr. Stephen reads the appointed prayers, and at the end the name of the departed is sung with the petition, “Memory eternal” (Вічная пам’ять).

This is the time for friends, neighbors, and parishioners who cannot come to the funeral itself to pay their respects. Children are welcome at the wake. The Church does not hide death from the young; we entrust the departed to God in their presence.

The funeral Liturgy at the church

On the morning of the funeral, the body is brought into St. Michael. The casket is placed in the center of the nave, facing the altar, with the head toward the altar. The casket remains open through the entire service. This is not for spectacle; it is the Church’s witness that this person, this body, is loved by God and will rise again at the Last Day.

The funeral service itself lasts about an hour. It includes:

  • Psalms, especially Psalm 91, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High”
  • The funeral hymns of the Orthodox Church, ancient and tender
  • The Epistle and Gospel readings of hope in the resurrection
  • The Final Kiss, when family and friends approach the casket one last time to take leave of their loved one
  • The dismissal and the proclamation of “Memory eternal”

After the service the casket is closed. The body is borne to the hearse, and Fr. Stephen and the family proceed to the cemetery.

At the graveside

The graveside service is brief, ten minutes or so. Fr. Stephen reads the final prayers, sprinkles the casket with holy water, and casts a handful of earth in the form of a cross on the casket as it is lowered. The family is invited to do the same. This act, simple as it is, has comforted Orthodox families for two thousand years. We give the body back to the earth from which it was taken, in confidence that the Lord will raise it on the Last Day.

After the funeral

The Church does not say goodbye and leave. We continue to pray for the departed at the 3rd day, 9th day, 40th day, and the anniversary each year. These are the Panakhydas (Памахида), short memorial services that hold the soul of our loved one before God. See our memorial services page for how to request a Panakhyda at St. Michael.

The 40th day is especially important. In the Orthodox tradition, the soul completes a journey on this day and is brought before the Lord. Families gather for a Panakhyda and a meal in memory of their loved one. Fr. Stephen will help you plan it.

Cost and donations

There is no fixed cost for a funeral at St. Michael. A donation is customary and is discussed with Fr. Stephen. Financial circumstances are never a barrier to giving your loved one an Orthodox burial. If a family cannot give anything, the parish will still serve the funeral, freely and with love.

Serving Tampa Bay

St. Michael is the Ukrainian Orthodox parish for the greater Tampa Bay area. We have served funerals for families in Pinellas Park, Largo, Seminole, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, Wesley Chapel, Land o’ Lakes, New Port Richey, and beyond. See the communities we serve for nearby city pages and driving directions.

Contact

Fr. Stephen Siniari, Parish Priest Parish line: 727-777-4450 Email: st.michael.uoc.pinellas@gmail.com

St. Michael Ukrainian Orthodox Church 9201 60th St, Pinellas Park, FL 33782

May the memory of your loved one be eternal. Вічная пам’ять.