Page 15 - OShea Funeral Homes

Must I purchase a burial vault?
Most large, active cemeteries have regulations that require the use of a basic grave liner for maintenance and safety purposes. Either a grave liner or a burial vault will satisfy these requirements. Some smaller rural or churchyard cemeteries do not require use of a container to surround the casket in the grave.
Cremation Services
Cremation is an alternative to the burial process and it is chosen by many people because of religious beliefs, the desire to preserve the environment or because it was requested by the person who died. Cremation is also a less expensive option in comparison to a burial. The remains are placed in a container that is combustible and placed in a special furnace called a cremation chamber or a crematory where, through intense heat, the remains are reduced where through intense heat is reduced to bone fragments that are then crushed and pulverized to resemble coarse sand. The cremated remains of an average human body will weigh about 7-8 pounds. Cremation is not an alternative to a funeral, but rather an alternative to
burial or other forms of disposition.
Cremated remains can be scattered or buried, or they may be kept with the family in a decorative urn. There are many new and different ways to dispose of ashes today, cremated remains can be placed in an artificial coral reef in the ocean or they can be spun into glass artwork or diamonds.
Some religions welcome cremation while others forbid it. The Catholic Church had banned cremation up until 1963, and burial remains the preferred form of disposition today. In other Christian denominations cremation was historically discouraged but nowadays it is more widely accepted. In eastern religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism cremation is mandated, while in Islam it is strictly forbidden. Orthodox Jews also forbid cremation; other sects of Judaism support cremation, but burial remains the preferred option.
15
O’SHEA FUNERAL HOMES