Vernon church to host final affairs fair

VERNON — The St. Thomas Episcopal Church will host a final affairs fair on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

The church is located at 307 Route 94 in Vernon. The fair is free, although donations are welcome.

Presentations are scheduled from Funeral Consumers’ Alliance and the Memorial Society of North Central New Jersey, as well as experts in estate planning, anatomical gifting, hospice and bereavement, advance medical directives, “green” burial options, and funeral planning.

According to the Rev. Howard Whitaker, although advanced planning for end of life issues can save money, pain, and stress on people and their families, these conversations can be very difficult to start. People know more about buying a cell phone than they know about buying end of life services. In four hours at St. Thomas’, families can get the information and permission they need to open these discussions.

When questioned about whether the event might be considered inappropriate or crass, Whitaker replies, “We are the church. We are supposed to be about ultimate things. If the church can’t help people face the end of life, we should just close shop.”