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Ashes
The body of those who choose cremation rapidly decomposes due to heat during cremation and is reduced to ashes. These are the ashes that will be placed in an urn and will continue to be honoured after the death of a loved one.
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Columbarium
A place of remembrance for families and loved ones in which a set of niches allows for urns to be placed in them. Indoor or outdoor, columbaria are found in cemeteries and funeral complexes.
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Commemoration
To commemorate is to solemnly celebrate together the memory of a person. The memory of the deceased is honoured with texts and photographs for posterity.
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Condolences
An expression of regret and empathy from one person to another, often close to the deceased, to connect and attempt to share the grief, in order to alleviate their pain in a symbolic way.
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Cremation
The process of reducing the body of a deceased person to ashes through the use of heat. Authorized by the Catholic Church since 1963, cremation has been growing steadily in popularity and has accounted for over 70% of funeral rites since 2012.
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Deceased
A term generally used to refer to the deceased person with respect and kindness.
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Grief
A natural process that occurs following the death of a loved one. Everyone has a different way of experiencing it, even though it most often results in pain and sorrow. This pain is universal, and we attribute to it several symptoms including anguish, despair, anger, guilt, or denial.
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Embalming
A method of preserving a body by spreading a preservative and antiseptic liquid into the veins, arteries and body cavities of the deceased.
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Funeral
It is a set of rituals organized to celebrate the life of the deceased and to pay tribute to them. It is the last thing we leave to our descendants and our loved ones.
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Incineration
Not a synonym for cremation, this process uses very high heat to reduce an item to ashes. To be exact, we speak of incineration for objects and cremation for the body of a deceased person.
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Open-casket funeral
An event in which the body of the deceased is placed in an open casket, and each person who knew the deceased can see them for the last time to experience a final special moment with the deceased. It is usually held in the funeral room.
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Pre-planning/prearrangements
A formal contract between a person and a funeral company, in which the person decides on the course of their ceremony, guaranteeing that their last wishes will be respected by the funeral company. Decisions are made about how the body will be handled, how the separation ceremony will go and where the body will rest.
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Register
A book in which information about the deceased is compiled and archived, allowing funeral home visitors to visit the final resting place of the deceased as often as they like.
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Urn
Also known as a “cinerary urn,” the urn is a container in which the ashes are deposited following cremation. The urn can be placed in a variety of locations, to become the place of remembrance for the living.