The Unveiling Ceremony
An unveiling is a ceremony which marks the dedication of a gravestone for a loved one. It is a brief ceremony and its beauty is in its simplicity.
Opening Prayer
Grant consolation, O God, to our sorrowing family, and to all who mourn with us. Heal our hurt. Sustain our faith.
May the memory of our beloved ____________ make life precious to us.
May this marker/monument be a reminder of what is most enduring, the immortality of the soul, memories that never fade and love that remains alive.
Though the pain of our mourning is deep, the love we had for ______ and the love that calls upon us to care lovingly for one another.
May he/she always live in our hearts.
May we think of him or her tenderly and revere his/her memory.
May we devote ourselves wholeheartedly to our chosen tasks for his/her sake.
Thus will our beloved _________ be recalled and live everyday.
Unveiling of Monument
The following reading may be used:
A thousand years, in the sight of our eternal and merciful Father, are but a day; the year of our life but a passing hour. God grants us life and life God has taken away; praised be the name of the Lord.
_____________ has been taken from our midst. We are saddened by the gap in our lives. Yet love is as strong as death; the bonds love creates are eternal. And ours is the blessing of memory, through which the lives of the departed continue to exist with us.
(covering removed)
In the name of the family of ____________ and in the presence of his/her family (and friends) we consecrate this monument/marker, as a token of our love and respect.
Tehei nishmato/nishmatah tzereurah bitzror hachayim.
May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life. Amen.