Request - memorial service (Panikhida or Parestas) for an infant

[Fr. Alexander Resnikoff]

Request - memorial service (Panikhida or Parestas) for an infant

Hello!

Does anyone know where I might find the following two things:
1) Panikhida after the death of an Infant
2) Panikhida (or other prayer) after the death of an non-Orthodox Infant

In XC,
o. A

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Request - memorial service (Panikhida or Parestas) for an infant

Hello!

Does anyone know where I might find the following two things:
1) Panikhida after the death of an Infant
2) Panikhida (or other prayer) after the death of an non-Orthodox Infant

In XC,
o. A

Dear Father,

I do not think that there is a specific panichida for an infant. I would think we use the standard panichida but use the litany as found in the funeral service for an infant.

For the death of a non-Orthodox infant or adult there are no specific services in the older books (eg trebnik). But I think such a service may be in the multi volume Book of Needs in English from St Tikhon's.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Joshua G.]

I assume you need this ASAP. I might be meeting with my priest tomorrow. Unfortunately he had to do this last year. So, if I can get it in a timely manner, I will get that to you so at the very least you could compare notes and do what makes most sense to you.

Mostly I posted just to say that I am so sorry that you have to find this out. What a terrible and tragic situation for the parish and family members.

Joshua

[Fr. Alexander Resnikoff]

I assume you need this ASAP. I might be meeting with my priest tomorrow. Unfortunately he had to do this last year. So, if I can get it in a timely manner, I will get that to you so at the very least you could compare notes and do what makes most sense to you.

Mostly I posted just to say that I am so sorry that you have to find this out. What a terrible and tragic situation for the parish and family members.

Joshua

I probably should have mentioned this earlier - I found a service in the Trebnk that accomodates Infants. It is very beautiful and comforting in the fact that there are no petitions for "forgiveness of sin" as an infant is without sin. There are a number of petitions spoken from the infants point of view - comforting those he/she is leaving behind.

Thank you again for your concern!

In XC,
oA

[Joshua G.]

Father bless!

I'm glad you were able to find something! I had never heard of a trebnk before. I googled around and it looks like a Book of Needs. Is that accurate? Or is different?

Joshua

[Fr. Alexander Resnikoff]

Father bless!

I'm glad you were able to find something! I had never heard of a trebnk before. I googled around and it looks like a Book of Needs. Is that accurate? Or is different?

Joshua

Joshua,

Trebnik is Russian for Book of Needs. Treby = Needs. Treby books contain services (blessings, funerals, unction, etc.) and the rules (rubriks) governing how to perform them.

There is a 4-Volume Set of Book of Needs (English) that covers a lot of ground and is my preference for services.

The Russian Language Treby can be a little inconsistent with regards to what they have within them. Most have all of the common services (Baptisms, etc.) but many will miss the uncommon ones like "Blessing a Well", etc. since most contemporary priests are not called to bless too many wells these days. Which makes sense, but I like being able to have everything at my fingertips.

Ultimately the choice of which book I use is determined by who I am serving the Treby for - if its an English speaker - then English, if Russian - then Slavonic.

God Bless.
oA

[Joshua G.]

Father Bless!

Thank you for that explanation. A few years ago, my priest was flipping through a book excitedly. I asked him what it was and he told me it was his new English Book of Needs that he ordered. He said he liked it because it had everything (I'm sure not EVERYTHING but...). He said that he did need to be careful though because it's actually the version approved the a Greek Catholic Church so every once and a while there are adopted western prayers. But over all it was excellent because it had so much.

Joshua

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

I probably should have mentioned this earlier - I found a service in the Trebnk that accomodates Infants. It is very beautiful and comforting in the fact that there are no petitions for "forgiveness of sin" as an infant is without sin. There are a number of petitions spoken from the infants point of view - comforting those he/she is leaving behind.

Thank you again for your concern!

In XC,
oA

Just a word of caution though- the service found in the Trebnik/Book of Needs is actually a funeral service for an infant, not a panichida.

That's why Father Alexander's question actually brought up an important matter- what do we do after the funeral (eg 40th day) when we want to do a panichida for a child? I can find no such service. But yet in countries like Russia this must be quite commonly done.

I wonder then if the standard panichida is done but the litanies are replaced by the ones in the funeral service for a child- which as Father Alexander says are quite different from the standard ones.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Theodora E.]

I know Isabel Hapgood's Service Book has a funeral service for infants (I've actually been at a funeral where that was used - baptized Orthodox children).