Corporal Service

Each year in the United States, tens of thousands die with neither a loved one nor even a remote relative who will see their burial through. The ER and ICU nurses caring for them in their last moments, or the coroners who collect them from the streets, do not even know many of their names. It falls to local governments to seek out next of kin and, failing that, to provide for these "indigent burials" in the most cost-effective way.

Today, the people whose bodies have served as anatomical cadavers in medical schools normally receive an appropriate burial, but this has not always been the case. Skeletal remains which no longer serve an educational purpose linger in drawers and closets around the country. These men and women did not all consent to the use of their bodies by science.

Cremation, made attractive by economic hardships and the state of the US funeral industry, is a widespread practice today. In cases where bereaved and well-intentioned family fail to designate a place for the ashes to permanently rest, it is common to hear of lost or broken urns, possessors forgetting a generation later whose remains the urns contain, and even landlords encountering urns abandoned by tenants. Post-mortem eviction is a final indignity no one should have to face.

What we do: We resolve, treating these forgotten men and women as our brothers and sisters, to aid them after death with compassionate service and, where other avenues have been exhausted, dignified burial of their bodies which were made in the image and likeness of God.

If you have found this page while searching for resources to plan the funeral of a friend or family member, we are sorry for your loss. We are currently directing inquiries to US Funerals Online. We hope you will consider becoming an Arimathean.

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