1. Due to the limited facilities in our UOC it is not possible to hold a funeral, esp. in the winter, where a possible two or three hundred people would attend. Could our priest not be permitted to hold the funeral service and prayers in a church of another mainline denomination i.e. Roman Catholic, Lutheran, United etc.?

1. In theory this would be possible. However since it is a departure from the norm where a funeral - and any service is held in an Orthodox temple, this would be a sprecial decision of the Pastor. If he felt that this was not a decision that he as Pastor could make on his own, he would consult with his Bishop. If the Orthodox Church is absolutely inaccessible, I suppose the alternative to using a non-Orthodox sanctuary would be the "neutral" space of an appropriate hall.

2. I will share what I have been doing - and to my knowledge other Pastors have done so as well: although it is traditional to fully lower the casket into the earth before the congregation leaves the cemetery, the sealing is done while the casket is at ground level. If the family wishes to be alone for a while with the casket before it is lowered, or does not wish to have it lowered until they leave the cemetery (this is very rare), their wishes are to be respected. In general, when it is a funeral where peoples' emotions are very tender - understandably so! - I believe that it is in keeping with good pastorship to be as accommodating as possible to the family who has the best sense of what will be comforting to them in the fiery ordeal through which they are passing. Such gestures are much appreciated and help to foster positive feelings about the congregation which can only be helpful in encouraging the family to participate in its life after the ordeal has passed.