CREMATION
Most religions allow the cremation of a person with the exceptions of Orthodox Jewish, Islamic, Eastern Orthodox and a few Fundamentalist Christian faiths. The Catholic Church did not permit the cremation process until recent times, but now accepts cremation as long as it is not chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian teachings, and as long as the proper religious ceremony accompanies the service.
When the deceased arrives at the crematorium their coffin or casket has been clearly identified by the Funeral Director, usually by way of a name plate. The deceased’s details are recorded and this information follows them through the process until the ashes are placed in a clearly identified container.
Only one person is cremated at a time and each person’s ashes are removed prior to another being cremated.
The actual process of cremation takes approximately 2hrs. The coffin is placed within the retort (the chamber within the cremator) and is subjected to heat of approximately 800 deg C.
Once the cremation is complete the remains which, after processing, resemble grains of sand commonly called ashes or cremains (term derived from the words cremation and remains) are placed into an identified container ready for placing in our gardens. If the family wish to take the ashes away with them they may choose to purchase an urn and the ashes can be placed inside it. The ashes can stay in the urn and be displayed or scattered in a variety of ways or fashions. The family should consult with local authorities to check if there are any regulations prohibiting the scattering of ashes prior to doing so.
