ABSTRACT
A primary function of ritual and ceremony is to create “sacred space,” that is, a place where our deepest feelings and beliefs can be experienced fully, honored honestly, and expressed without fear of condemnation. To create rituals requires sensitivity and an accepting non-judgmental approach. The social and cultural context for creating and conducting death and bereavement rituals has changed goes almost without saying. The ritual prescriptions which once provided support and consolation are becoming irrelevant to the faith of members and adherents. All rituals follow a general pattern of community-building, opening, link with the past, action and closing; ceremonies for death and bereavement are no exception. Religious instruction was given, weekly, in the public schools. With the changed attitudes of people in “Western” society, the former religious rituals hold less and less meaning. Community clergy, too, occasionally are asked to provide rituals for the “non-religious” of their area.
