Requiem Policies
A Requiem, a Mass said for the departed, is the traditional Christian funeral service, with or without the remains present. It is an important ritual of celebrating the life of and bidding farewell to the deceased, as well as allowing the bereaved to grieve and take hope in God.
​"The death of a member of the Church should be reported as soon as possible to, and arrangements for the funeral should be made in consultation with, the Minister of the Congregation" (Book of Common Prayer). If one needs help finding funeral services, Father Raul recommends consultation with the The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Northern New Jersey. Some guidance for finding affordable direct cremation may be found in this article from the Huffington Post.
Requiems (with the body, cremated remains, or no remains) are normally done in the Church Building. Internments following the Requiem, if necessary, can be done at the graveside.
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Musical selections must be approved by the Director of Music and the Rector. Only sacred music on acoustic instruments will be approved according to these parameters: sacred organ music or other acoustic sacred music may be used (no electronic instruments will be allowed). Hymns and songs must come from The Hymnal 1982 (or in some instances from other approved hymnals of The Episcopal Church). No other music, including praise music or choruses, may be used without approval of the Director of Music and the Rector, and then only with acoustic instruments.
"The coffin is to be closed before the service, and it remains closed thereafter" (Book of Common Prayer).
Clergy will officiate requiems for Communicants and their immediate family members at no cost, though some fees apply (for example, the fee for the organist and soloist).
The following fees for funerals will apply:
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Church Use = $400 (waived for communicants)
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Clergy Fee for Funeral and Committal = $300 (waived for communicants)
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Organist = $350 (required for all)
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Soloist = $125 (required for all)
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Attendant Fee (required for all) = for each hour the building must be accessible earlier than 1-hour prior to the scheduled beginning or later than 1-hour past the scheduled conclusion of the service, the fee for the attendant arranged by the church who will provide access and oversight is $20 per hour (partial hours are rounded up to the next hour)
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Custodial Fee for Church (required for all) = $50
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Flowers = To Be Discussed
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Parish Hall for Repast = $300 per event lasting 3 hours or less and an additional charge of $75 for every additional hour (waived for communicants)
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Additional Custodial Fee for Reception (never waived) = $100
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Please make out one check to "Trinity Church" for the total amount due for proper distribution. Checks are due one week before the service.
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Financial contributions to the church and Rector are used to fund various ministries of this church.
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