When Someone You Love Has Died
We are sorry you are here. We are also grateful, because walking alongside families in grief is among the most sacred things a church can do, and we do not take it lightly.

Please Let Us Know Early
If someone you love is in hospice care, or if health is declining and you sense the end of a journey drawing near, please let us know. Our priest and deacon may already have a closer relationship with your loved one than you realize, and even if they do not, their quiet presence at a bedside can be a genuine comfort. You do not need to wait until arrangements need to be made.

You Will Have Questions. We Have Someone to Help.
The customs surrounding death and burial are shifting in our culture, and many families find themselves navigating unfamiliar decisions: burial or cremation, a church service or a graveside gathering, Eucharist or Prayer Service, interment in our Memorial Garden or burial elsewhere. Our Parish Administrator is gentle, patient, knowledgeable, and entirely unhurried. Along with our priest, she can walk you through every option, help you understand the costs associated with each, and answer questions you haven't thought to ask yet. If you already have a relationship with a funeral home or mortuary, we will not interfere. 

Visitation
Many families find it meaningful to offer a time of visitation before the funeral, when friends and relatives can gather, pay their respects, and begin to greet one another before the service itself. Depending on whether you have chosen burial or cremation, this may take place the evening before or in the hours just prior to the funeral. Our Parish Administrator can help you think through the timing and logistics so that the pace of the day feels unhurried and right.

A Personal Homily, Even If We Have Never Met
It is not unusual for a family to come to us when the priest has never met the person who has died. Please know that this is no obstacle. Fr. Dave considers it an honor to sit with family and friends, to ask questions and collect stories, and to craft a homily that is genuinely personal. Those who knew and cherished the one who has died will also be invited to speak or participate in ways that feel right.

A Beautiful Setting for a Sacred Occasion
Christ Church Pompton is a neo-Gothic stone church first built in 1908, and it is a quietly stunning place to say goodbye. If you choose to hold the service here, our Altar Guild, Flower Guild, and musicians will work with you to create something that is both deeply personal and rooted in the ancient worship of the Episcopal Church. The Prayer Book's burial liturgy is, at its heart, an Easter liturgy: a service not of endings but of unshakeable hope.

Gathering Afterward
Our Parish Hall is available for a reception following the service, and we will help you find a caterer who can handle everything from a simple spread to a full meal. Breaking bread together after a funeral is one of the oldest human instincts, and we are happy to make room for it.

Where to Begin
If you are making arrangements now, or simply thinking ahead, the best first step is a phone call or email to Maureen Killian, our Parish Administrator. She will take it from there.

Contact the Parish Office, at 973-835-2207 or email at christchurchpomptonoffice@gmail.com for more information and to make arrangements.