Funerals, Celebrations of Life, and Memorial Services
Remembering Loved Ones in the Hope of Resurrection
Losing someone you love is never easy. In the midst of grief, decisions and planning can feel overwhelming. At St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Sterling, VA, we are here to walk alongside you with compassion, prayer, and practical support.
Our clergy and staff will help guide you through planning a funeral, memorial service, celebration of life, burial, or cremation service in a way that honors your loved one and reflects the hope of the Christian faith.
Whether you are planning after a recent loss or preparing arrangements in advance, we are committed to creating a service that is personal, meaningful, and grounded in God’s love.
We encourage you to download our Planning Guide as a helpful starting point, which may answer some of your initial questions, and visit our Columbarium page for information about interment at St. Matthew's
Prior to your initial meeting, we ask you to please complete our Service Planning Questionnaire, this provides St. Matthew's with the details needed to ensure we provide your family as easy a planning experience as possible during this incredibly difficult time.
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, nor 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, p.507)