InfoSub - Pallbearers

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InfoSheet SubPage - Pallbearers

Ocean Grove Memorial Home
118 Main Avenue, Ocean Grove, New Jersey 07756

Thomas J. Saragusa, Manager
N. J. License No. 4036

VOICE 732-775-0434 - - OGMHognj@aol.com

Pallbearers

A Pall is a cloth that is used to cover a casket. You usually see a pall used in a Catholic or Episcopal Church or ocassionally at a Jewish funeral. Any cloth may be used as a pall, including the American Flag in the case of a veteran. In England, a flag or a family Coat of Arms is often used as a pall (as we all saw during the funeral for Princess Diana).

"Pallbearer" is the common term used for the bearers (carriers) of a casket.

Active Pallbearer’s Duties

Today, formal, active pallbearers are commonly needed only to carry the casket into and out of church for the funeral ceremony. Modern funeral homes are prepared to move the casket (often indoors to the hearse) without requiring additional help to carry the casket. Assistance is usually available at the cemetery to move the casket from the hearse to the grave.

When needed, six bearers are used, three on each side of the casket, and often merely up stairs...a wheeled "truck" is commonly used to move the casket inside the church.

After the pallbearers carry the casket into the church and place it on the wheeled truck, they are not needed until after the ceremony, at the time the casket is carried back to the hearse. The funeral home staff usually moves the casket inside the church.

If the pallbearers are relatives or friends of the decedent's family, they often walk in front of the casket to reserved seats on the left of the aisle near the front of the church...or they may sit anywhere, assembling again, at the rear of the church after the ceremony.

If the interment is local, they are usually asked to arrange common transportation to the cemetery to act there, again, to carry the casket from the hearse to the grave.

The practice of "shouldering the casket" is not common. The bearers carry the casket on their shoulders to the front of church and place it on a bier.

Although commonly a service provided by men, today, anyone may serve as an active pallbearer. Children and grandchildren, including daughters and granddaughters often act as pallbearers.

Honorary Pallbearers

Active pallbearers actually carry the casket. Honorary pallbearers are accorded the honor of escorting the casket and sitting with the active pallbearers but do not actually carry the casket.

A special friend or business associate of the decedent may be named as an honorary pallbearer. At the death of a policeman or fireman, the majority of the uniformed force who are not selected to be active bearers often act as honorary pallbearers. At the cemetery, they often act as an honor guard during the committal ceremony.

Professional Pallbearers

When relatives and friends are not available to act as active pallbearers, the funeral home is prepared to hire professional pallbearers who will carry the casket as is necessary. They are paid a fee and will meet the funeral at a local cemetery when requested, but usually the cemetery personel help move the casket at the cemetery.

Moving the Casket at Certain Cemeteries

In November of 1999, the Diocese of Trenton recommended to its churches that cemetery personnel be barred from lifting and/or carrying the casket from the hearse to the grave and and ultimately, placing the casket on the lowering device at the grave. They, however, may assist in moving the casket (pushing the casket on a wheeled vehicle if the cemetery provides one) but will not lift or carry the casket.

The following cemeteries have notified us that their personnel have been barred from lifting or carrying the casket:

St. Catharine’s Church of Spring Lake

St. Catharine’s Cemetery, Wall Township

St. Anne’s Cemetery, Wall Township

Holy Spirit Church of Asbury Park

Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Neptune

The result of the decision by these churches to bar their employees from helping move the casket is that you, the family, or we, the funeral home, must provide additional assistance to help move the casket from the hearse to the grave. Nothing else is affected by this decision.

At the cemetery, there are most often two uniformed men from the burial vault company who are willing to help lift and carry the casket (and flowers) to the grave. If we utilize their assistance, it is appropriate that we offer a gratuity for their services. A minimum of four additional able-bodied pallbearers are needed at the cemetery. To insure that enough assistance will be present, we will plan for any of the following scenarios:

The family may provide four pallbearers at the cemetery and on behalf of the family, the funeral home will advance an appropriate gratuity to the burial vault installation men for their help.

The family may choose to provide all six pallbearers, eliminating the need for assistance from the burial vault men. (It is still necessary, however, to offer a gratuity to the vault installers as they will help move flowers and assist the pallbearers at the graveside)

The funeral home will hire professional pallbearers at the current rate to meet us at the cemetery to help move the casket to the grave.

The funeral home will have the professional pallbearers (who have been hired to carry the casket at the church) go on to the cemetery to help move the casket there (at additional cost).

In the cases described immediately above, no gratuity will be offered to the cemetery personnel unless we are requested to do so by the person in charge of making funeral arrangements.

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