The blood-drainers have gone way too far this time
When I lived in southern Illinois, I had bad experience after bad experience with the funeral homes. Some were worse than others, but the men running them were all obsessed with the title “Funeral Director.” It trumped all things religious, and since our Lutheran church didn’t exactly run a Baptist tissue-soaker, it often meant war. My naivete and total unwillingness to compromise didn’t help, but I’m not sure if it would be better or worse now that I have 10 years under my belt (and too many pounds over it, alas).
I remember being up all night with a man at St. Louis University hospital. His wife died on the operating table, and afterward we planned out, together, every detail of her funeral, to be held at church. Good Lutheran hymns, use of the Pall and processional crucifix, Bible readings and no eulogies. “I want a good Lutheran funeral for my wife, Pastor.” I drove the 90+ minutes back home, slept for a couple of hours, and headed over to the mortuary to get the “funeral director” up to speed. To my astonishment, he had insisted that the funeral be at his chapel (for an extra fee, of course), and no hymns (”People in this town don’t like to sing that stuff”). Instead, we were treated to a recording of “Sunrise, Sunset” – no better Christian message at a funeral, right? I was livid – but also powerless.
While I still detest the entire “funeral industry,” funeral homes in northern Virginia are far better. They are genuinely interested in accomodating religious and cultural practices, and I’ve never had a problem with anyone here.
However, poor Father Jeffrey Leger has run into a bit of trouble – his local funeral director is suing him and the Louisville Archdiocese for “intentional and wrongful interference” in his mortuary’s business practices. Fr. Leger, it turns out, has been insisting that Roman Catholic funerals, well, follow Roman Catholic policies. You can read the whole ridiculous story here.
I am very upset with Mollie Hemingway for ruining my afternoon with this story. 
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- The Shaw Experience I just got
