Happy New Year to all! 2024 marks my fourth year of providing meaningful blogs through “A New Face to the Funeral Business.” Every year I make it a goal to write more blogs than I did the year before, but usually life gets busy. For example, birthing another child and some more or less exciting obstacles get in the way. However, as I look back and see the blogs written in the past, I realize that I was prompted by an experience that I just HAD to share. I find that sharing experiences is much more meaningful than giving lessons, how to’s, and tips on funeral services.
A few months ago, Francis and I had the pleasure of welcoming a group of Seminarians from St. Mark’s Seminary in Erie for a “Day in the life” and tour of the funeral home. When Fr. Renne, Associate Director of Seminarians, asked Francis and I to talk to the seminarians, my initial reaction was what on earth do you want us to talk about? The more I thought about the opportunity to sit down with future priests, the more I thought, you know what—I bet they have never heard the funeral director’s side of what makes a meaningful funeral. Of course the traditions, the symbols used during the Mass, the participation of family members during the service, etc. all play a huge role in making a meaningful funeral, but why is all of that important? What are families really looking for in a funeral service?
People love to use the phrase a “Celebration of Life.” Of course that is the preferred way to say funeral—the very nature of the words make the “event” less sad. Some definitions of “Celebration of Life” describe it as a primary focus on the life that the loved one lived. Some say it’s less rooted in tradition and focuses on celebrating the life. Most people think that a Celebration of Life and a Funeral are two different events. Let’s be honest, whenever a gathering occurs and the purpose of the gathering is to remember and honor a person who passed away, that event is going to be sad. That is the point of a funeral. A funeral is a safe place to have those feelings, to cry, to mourn the death, to be with family and friends, to tell stories, to laugh, and then to cry again. It is necessary for families to have a funeral, but it does not look the same for every family, and that is okay.
There are plenty of families that want visiting hours and a service at the funeral home instead of at a church. There are families who would prefer having more of a party style “Celebration of Life” at a restaurant or bar. Some want a combination of both. No matter what, there is a need to hold some sort of an event for the specific purpose of remembering the person who died. When a family goes without having any funeral, that grieving process is lengthened. When a funeral is planned, the community is made aware of the loss and they have an opportunity to come and pay their respects, or at least send a card or message to the family. If no funeral occurs, the community, friends, and even distant relatives end up “paying their respects” the first time they see the family. This makes the funeral occur in any moment, in any location, and most times becomes an awkward conversation at a grocery store. Again, without a funeral of any kind, the grieving process is prolonged.
I believe that one of our strengths at Kloecker Funeral Home is that we are not sales people. We don’t have a thirty slide presentation for the family to sit through during their darkest time. We listen to the family first and foremost. Then we try to create a funeral that is meaningful to that specific family. We don’t push merchandise. We try to make this process easier for the family while giving them space to grieve in their own way.
To wrap up my seminarian story, I made sure to tell the seminarians that family participation is key, listening and really putting in effort to talk to the family goes a long way, and then incorporating that information into the funeral makes a world of a difference. There are many priests, pastors, and ministers already creating beautiful funeral services in the Erie Community, but there is always room for more discussion and hearing the needs of families.
God Bless,
Adrienne (Kloecker) Kalivoda
Bringing A New Face to the Funeral Business