Easing the Pain of Grief

MANILA, Philippines - A death in the family is difficult not only because of the pain of losing a loved one but because one has to attend to a million and one details, including wake and burial arrangements.

When a loss occurs, most of us are unprepared for how to handle it, especially if we have never had to deal with it before.

The grieving process is different for each individual but the grief must be worked through so that you can continue to deal with what’s important.

Sanctuarium, located at Araneta Avenue, Quezon City (near the corner of Quezon Avenue), makes life easier for the bereaved with a full range of services from the time of death to the burial. Being there is like having a family of trained, compassionate professionals to whom you can reach out.

Funeral services can be very stressful and painful to organize, particularly when you are grieving the loss of a loved one. There are lots of things to take into consideration when organizing a funeral service.  

Sanctuarium offers religious services for Catholics, Christians and Buddhists. There is even a Buddhist Temple on one floor. The Jesus Cares Ministry, a Christian ministry, also provides counseling and comfort for the bereaved, aside from regular Care and Visit at the chapel, they also make visitations at homes and offices, if requested. The ministry offers ecumenical necrological services to those who share the memories of the departed with family and friends. Its services are also available at the internment and entombment, inurnment (committing the urn into a columbarium), at prayer service for the deceased while preparing for viewing or cremation and of course, prayers and blessings for the bereaved.

Each family is also assigned a Family Service Coordinator at no extra cost to take care of all their needs and address their concerns. A coordinator, says Sanctuarium Marketing Manager Joji Cajili, is like having a family member to take care of the details, from something as important as what casket to choose to having the chapels cleaned and ordering coffee for guests.

Sanctuarium, an impressive 12-story building that’s easily the tallest in the area is not a hotel, as per most people’s first impression, but a full service funeral home that handles arrangements for those who have lost their loved one. It also houses columbarium for the remains of those who have been cremated.

It is the most complete, technologically advanced and well maintained facility of its kind in the country right now. Sanctuarium, backed by a team of Filipino and Foreign technical experts, offers a variety of options to meet the financial needs and wishes of the bereaved.

Cajili says the company has 5-star amenities to service the living while being the perfect resting haven for the deceased.

“It is the only structure with a mortuary, crematorium, columbarium, religious chapels and even audio-visual archives under one roof,” she says.

Sanctuarium, which opened to the public in 2006, has a considerable number of vaults and 28 chapels, each of which has a family room where the bereaved can rest as it has a bed and a toilet and bath. There are also four parking floors with 300 to 400 spaces available. Note that in the recent surge of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, Sanctuarium was within reach without floodwaters up to the 4th basement parking floor. Wifi service is also available for free.

From its employees who are well experienced in dealing with grief to the complimentary kit containing basic toiletries and snacks for the family’s immediate needs, Sanctuarium takes care of and nurtures those who have lost their loved ones and are feeling confused and bewildered.            

For convenience, Sanctuarium also houses a flower shop, coffee shop and a 24-hour convenience store so that the bereaved and their guests need not go out to buy basic necessities.

While there are impressions that Sanctuarium is expensive, Cajili explains that prices are reasonable and cover all budgets from the most basic to the elaborate. Packages are available on cash and installment.

For information about Sanctuarium, go to www.sanctuarium.net or call 711-2255 and 415-2255.