The Committal Service

The Committal Service

The committal is the final words spoken before the body is gently lowered (or committed) into the grave or coffin moved into a committal room ready for cremation. It may be included at the end of the funeral service or it could be done at the graveside (for burials) or in the crematorium chapel (for cremations).

The committal may include prayers and readings, or as an example the following might be said:

‘Would you please stand for the committal. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose on earth, a time to be born and a time to die. Here in this last act, in sorrow but without fear, in love and appreciation, we commit (deceased’s name) to its natural end.’

Flowers may be placed on the casket – it is a final opportunity for mourners to say their goodbyes. For burials, soil may be scattered onto the coffin or flowers released into the grave.

After the committal, mourners typically gather outside where floral tributes may also be on display.