Officiating at a funeral is a service offered by the Anglican Church here in Cyprus, as it would be in England, where Anglicans have a care for the whole community. In other words we offer this service to anyone who requests it for a loved one, regardless of their (or your) church background. The form of service we offer is in the Anglican form and translation and the service is in English.
Below are answers to some questions often voiced during the difficult time after the loss of a loved one.
What kind of funeral is possible here?
Broadly there are two kinds of funeral service: a graveside service or a service in church followed by committal at the graveside. The church fee is identical in either case: 250 euros (normally paid via the funeral director).
- There is no crematorium on Cyprus yet.
- Most funerals in Limassol district are organized by Archangel Funeral Services ( https://archangelfunerals.com.cy/ ) or Lee Carter Independent Funeral Services ( http://www.leecarterfunerals.com/ ) although there are other Funeral Directors elsewhere on the island.
- When arranging the time of a funeral, it is important to remember that even in spring and autumn the weather can be very hot for mourners standing in the sun, and occasionally the problem of torrential rain has to be dealt with.
Where would I be buried?
People with a British passport and their spouses can be buried at the British Cemetery Erimi.
The Cemetery Administrator is Tim Cole and can be contacted on:
+357 99 791335 or email : timbocolecyprus@gmail.com
Usually Orthodox cemeteries in this district restrict burial to those baptised Orthodox. There are exceptions, sometimes by village, sometimes because a particular resident is being honoured by the local community.
Do we have music at a funeral?
The organist can play for a funeral at St. Barnabas’ church and a soloist can sing. The additional fee for an organist is 85 euro. Some people play recorded music at funerals. At a graveside funeral bear in mind there will be no electricity supply.
