End of Life for Greek Orthodox

[trauma_lama, BSN]

Hey awesome nurses. School project here. Have any of you had professional (or personal) experience with the traditions surrounding death and dying within the Greek Orthodox community? If so, could you share them with me? And please no google links because I've already found plenty of resources myself. I just really want a more personal perspective if anyone's got one. Thank you so much for your help, hope you're all happy these days. :)

[nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN]

None here, but you might call a Greek Orthodox church and ask if they have a parish nursing program. That way you'd get both a nursing an a GO perspective...

[signet, LPN]

I belong to a Ukranian Greek orthodox Catholic church. I started going to church again last year after a 20 year hiatus. There are many things I don't know, but here are a few I've picked up on. People who are dead are referred to as "fallen asleep in our Lord.' Presumably, when Jesus comes back, he will wake them all up. The funeral service is called Parastas(This may be a Russian or Greek word). A sick person is anointed with the last rights by a priest. I did attend afuneral earlier this year for our neighbor. It was similiar to a Roamn Catholic funeral, with the exception of incense. They use so much incense, you almost walk out of church with a buzz. They also have another service fourty days after the funeral. If your interested in Greek/Russian orthodox weddings, rent the movie,"The Deer Hunter",1978. It's got Robert DeNiro and Merryl Streep. A great movie. The town they live in is very similiar to mine.