ABSTRACT
The growing trends toward minimizing the funeral ritual or eliminating it together has resulted in many people not knowing how to mourn in healthy ways. In eliminating ritual people communicate the need to repress and isolate oneself in the experience of grief. Factors that influence the mourner's response to death, funerals can assist in social, phychological, and spiritual reconciliation. When a death occurs the funeral ritual provides a structure to assist and support the mourner through initial period of mourning. The growing trend away from traditional forms of funeral ritual puts emphasis on clergy and other helpers to pastorally and personally attend to the needs of mourners. This special and individualized attention could not be replaced soley by formalized ritual, but the lack of mourning rituals and customs force the helper to be reminded of the special needs of people who are experiencing grief. And, in the case of clergy, to make mourners a special focus of one's pastoral care.
