If you suffer a death in your family, please notify the parish office at 817-431-2396, or Fr. Alan at 713-553-3358.
The ministry and care of grieving families is a priority for the St. Martin’s community. We care about your family, are eager to offer comfort, and stand ready to help you understand God’s love.
All funerals at St. Martin’s follow the rich burial services found in The Book of Common Prayer, and our clergy will assist your family with the important details of memorial and burial, whether planning ahead or planning when a loved one dies unexpectedly.
Learn more about funerals in the Episcopal Church
The liturgy for the dead is an Easter liturgy. It finds all its meaning in the resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we too, shall be raised.
The liturgy, therefore, is characterized by joy, in the certainty that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, not height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This joy, however, does not make human grief unchristian. The very love we have for each other in Christ brings deep sorrow when we are parted by death. Jesus himself wept at the grave of his friend. So, while we rejoice that one we love has entered into the nearer presence of our Lord, we sorrow in sympathy with those who mourn.
—Book of Common Prayer, pg. 507
Funeral Planner
Holy Scripture teaches us of the reality of death and the joy of Resurrection. Part of our Christian stewardship is to prepare for our death by making a will, planning for our funeral and when possible, in making a bequest to our church or other charities.
The purpose of this form is to allow you to express your wishes regarding your funeral service. It is perfectly acceptable to return this form to the church partially completed or to return the form to the church now and update it in the future. To make it more likely that your wishes will be followed, please discuss your plans with your family and let them know that you have a Funeral Planning Form on file at St. Martin’s.
This form will be invaluable to your survivors at the time of your death. Once completed, it will remain in our digital archives, and hard copy files. The office will be happy to print out copies of this form for you as copies should be sent to your attorney, funeral home and family members.
Clergy are trained to help their people prepare for a Holy death. A clergy member is available to help you with this form. Please contact the office at 817-431-2396 or stmartin@stmartininthefields.org to schedule an apppointment.