Donor memorialization practices at religious institutions in the United States

Abstract

Many institutions worldwide honor the gift of human body donors through memorial services, ceremonies, and various other means, such as guided reflection or art activities. Memorial services can vary when it comes to the name, who is involved in the planning, and who may attend. Within the United States, the role of religion in the planning and delivery of these ceremonies at religious institutions has yet to be actively explored. This study aimed to collect information about human body donor memorialization practices at religious institutions in the United States to help guide further suggestions for enhancing inclusivity in these practices. This study utilized a voluntary survey that was distributed to anatomy educators and human body donor programs to complete if they were from a religious institution that utilized human body donors. Based on the data collected in this study (n = 39), most religious institutions have some form of donor memorialization practices, which may or may not include a formal memorial service. In these practices described by survey participants, religion was commonly represented using an interfaith approach, in which campus ministry often assisted in planning and facilitating the memorialization. Those with masses/services refer to them by different names, and most occur in a religious-specific place on campus. In conclusion, among survey participants at religious institutions that utilize and memorialize human body donors, most take an inclusive interfaith approach to their memorialization practices, as this can be more representative of the body donors and students who learn from them.