Death Rites –  

Many people die in fear, with unresolved issues, not having said the ‘I love yous’ and ‘I forgive yous” that would be so healing for them and their families.  We have tried to make death invisible, thinking that if we ignore it long enough, it will go away.  We can come to the end of a life with grace, and make the journey beyond death in a peaceful manner, full of light.

End–of–life rituals help a person experience not only a peaceful death, but a sacred death, bringing reconciliation and acceptance to the loved ones as well as to the person dying. Rituals help to heal the pain of letting go while at the same time connecting us with something much greater than earthly concerns.  

Rituals, however, are not meant to take the place of medical or hospice care.  Their practice assumes that the physical needs of the dying person are well attended to and that pain management is under control.