Life passages As immediate family Anglican / Episcopal 5 min read

Anglican funeral as immediate family

What immediate family typically arranges, attends, and experiences across the rites of an Anglican or Episcopal funeral, across TEC and ACNA practice.

01 The first steps after the death

An Anglican or Episcopal funeral in US practice normally comes together within four to seven days of the death. The first calls in the hours after the death are to the funeral home and (where the deceased has a home parish) to the parish priest or rector. The funeral home handles the body and the logistical arrangements; the parish priest handles the liturgical arrangements.

Where the deceased did not have a home parish, the funeral home commonly recommends a priest available for the funeral; the family may also contact a parish directly.

02 The rite itself

An Anglican or Episcopal funeral follows the Burial Office of the Book of Common Prayer (the 1979 BCP for TEC, the 2019 BCP for ACNA). The rite may be celebrated with Holy Communion (a Requiem Eucharist) or without; the choice is made in conversation with the priest based on the family's wishes, the gathered congregation, and the local pastoral judgment.

The rite includes scripture readings (the BCP provides a list of suggested passages), the homily, prayers for the deceased and the bereaved, the Commendation (in which the deceased is commended to God's mercy), and the Committal (typically at the graveside, with the prayers as the body or ashes are laid to rest).

03 Planning the service

The family typically meets with the priest one or two days before the funeral to plan the service. The principal decisions: the choice of readings (with the priest's guidance, drawn from the BCP's suggested passages), the choice of music (hymns, psalm settings, any solo or choral pieces), the selection of pall-bearers, whether a family member will offer a brief tribute or remarks of remembrance, and whether the rite will be celebrated as a Requiem Eucharist or as a Burial Office without Eucharist.

The Anglican and Episcopal funeral rite is structured but flexible; the family's choices are meaningful within the prayer-book framework.

04 Cremation and burial

Cremation is permitted in Anglican and Episcopal practice; the body or the cremated remains may be present at the funeral. There is no prayer-book restriction on the scattering or keeping of ashes, though the parish rector commonly counsels the family on what is fitting in the local pastoral context.

05 Common questions

How soon after the death does the funeral happen?
Most Anglican and Episcopal funerals in the US take place four to seven days after the death, though the timing is set by the family in conversation with the parish and the funeral home. Practice is more flexible than Catholic practice and less constrained by liturgical calendar restrictions.
Is cremation permitted?
Yes. Cremation is permitted in Anglican and Episcopal practice; the body or the cremated remains may be present at the funeral. There is no prayer-book restriction on the scattering or keeping of ashes, though the parish rector commonly counsels the family on what is fitting.
Can a family member give a eulogy?
Yes. The 1979 BCP rubric permits a "tribute" or "remarks of remembrance" before the Commendation; the 2019 BCP is similar. Eulogies are typically a few minutes; the priest at the parish is the source for any specific limits the parish observes.
Does the funeral include Holy Communion?
It may. The Burial of the Dead in the 1979 BCP may be celebrated with the Holy Eucharist (a Requiem Eucharist) or without. The choice depends on the family’s wishes, the priest’s pastoral judgment, and the makeup of the gathered congregation. Where the rite is celebrated with the Eucharist, most TEC and many ACNA parishes invite all baptized Christians to receive.
What does the family need to bring or arrange?
The funeral home handles the body, the casket or urn, and the cemetery arrangements. The parish handles the rite. The family typically chooses the readings (with the priest’s guidance), the music, any photographs displayed at the gathering before the service, and the eulogist where one is invited.

06 Pastoral and grief support

Last reviewed against primary sources: May 17, 2026