Press

Jan, 2022

Are Livestreamed Funerals and Memorials Here to Stay

Aug/Sep, 2021

Navigating the New Virtual Normal Memento Mori

March 5, 2021

Lights. Camera. Funeral.

Please enjoy this complimentary copy of “Lights. Camera. Funeral.” that was first published in Lemasters Consulting’s quarterly deathcare journal, Parliament.

Jan/Feb, 2021

Witness to a Divine Vocation

Jan/Feb, 2021

Technology. The Pandemic. The Funeral Home.

May 19, 2020

Funeral Service in the Time of COVID-19

On a chilly and rainy day in late April, I stood at a grave in Queens County, New York, with three mourners in protective masks, preparing to lead the graveside prayers. The casket had already been lowered, unlike how it has always been done, and it hit me that I would be praying to a hole.

April 16, 2020

Frontline funeral home staff give Queens residents ‘a chance to say goodbye’

There are few breaks in the Queens funeral home industry these days as the borough’s coronavirus death toll continues to rise.

April 2, 2020

The Surprising Intimacy of the Live-Streamed Funeral

Because of the coronavirus, memorial services are moving online, where mourners find that collective grief is still possible.

March 30, 2020

Locals' opportunity to mourn together postponed by coronavirus

When Jeanine Porr’s 38-year-old son, Dustin Tortu, died last week, her loss and grief were compounded by requirements of the COVID-19 crisis that prevented her from seeking solace in the company of friends and family.

March 26, 2020

Video Funerals Help Families Mourn During COVID-19

At a time when precautions against COVID-19 mean that large public gatherings are banned in some places and discouraged most everywhere else, how can we continue having funerals? It’s important to honor and remember the lives of our loved ones who have died, and mourning together with others who loved them is a crucial part of the grief process. We can still do this, even if we can’t get together in one place for a funeral.

March 20, 2020

Coronavirus in New York: How funeral homes are proceeding amid a global pandemic

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday, March 20, 2020, that all non-essential travel and in-office work will be banned starting Sunday due to the rise in confirmed coronavirus cases in New York. New York State Team

March 12, 2020

Funerals During the COVID-19 Coronavirus Epidemic: How to Plan

As the new coronavirus strain COVID-19 travels around the globe, it’s not always easy to know what to do to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. In many areas of the U.S., public gatherings have been banned or discouraged. We’re practicing social distancing, staying home as much as possible.