Funeral Information
“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”
Church Funerals. We are sorry to hear about the death of your loved one. May they rest in peace! Let us sit down together to pray and to prepare for the religious part of your loved one’s funeral. There are prayers at the funeral home, prayers at the church, and prayers at the grave. The other details of the funeral are handled through the assistance of your funeral director. Funeral liturgies should be held soon after the death of a loved one, to pray for the repose of their soul and to comfort you spiritually in the midst of your immediate sorrow and loss. May faith be your consolation, and eternal life your hope!
- At the funeral home, there is a “celebration of a past life.” This part of the funeral is really all about your loved one. Pictures, mementos and shared stories of your loved one’s past life bring back many beautiful memories that you can recall, cherish, and treasure together for many years to come.
- At church, there is a “celebration of eternal life.” This part of the funeral is for your loved one. In church, we pray for the repose of their soul as they come before God in the next life. The greatest parting gift that we could ever give to our loved one is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for their salvation.
- After the burial prayers, there is usually a funeral luncheon that celebrates your ongoing life together, filled with grateful memories of your loved one. This part of the funeral is thus both for you and about you. It is also a fitting time to reflect on your own personal faith journeys through life as well.
All the details of the funeral liturgy are discussed fully beforehand, in accord with the customs and the practices of our local parish community. Please note that, while eulogies can be given at the funeral home and the funeral luncheon, the priest gives a homily (sermon) instead of a eulogy in church. Be assured that the priest’s spiritual remarks will include some personal words of remembrance about your loved one as well. For more information about our traditions and prayers for the faithful departed, please check out EternalRest.org. For more information about our faith in general, please go to CatholicChristian.org.
Liturgical Ministries. Those who wish to serve in liturgical ministries at a Funeral Mass must be active in those ministries at their home parish and trained by our parish staff for service at our church. Likewise, musicians from other parishes must be trained to serve together with our church musicians. Everyone in church is invited to participate in the most important ministry of being part of the congregation, who joins in the responses and the music of the liturgy. For Communion, people must prepare themselves with the usual fasting and the sacrament of penance. Those who are not spiritually prepared in these ways for Communion may come forward for a blessing, indicating this by placing their hand over their heart. Thank you for your participation in the sacred liturgy!
Other Remembrances. A funeral liturgy can be recorded or livestreamed by the family for those who cannot attend it in person, or just to prayerfully watch again at a later time. Sometimes a memorial banquet is held at a later date when family and friends can more conveniently get together. There are many other beautiful customs for remembering our departed loved ones in prayer, such as a month after their death, forty days after their death, and on the anniversary of their death. As Saint Ambrose said, “We loved them in life, let us not forget them in death until, by our prayers, we bring them to the very gates of heaven itself.” Other special events in our loved ones’ lives can also be times of prayer for them. Either at their gravesite, or at the celebration of Mass, we can prayerfully honor their blessed memory. As Saint John Chrysostom once said, “Our departed loved ones are no longer where they usually were. Now they can be everywhere that we are, as we prayerfully hold them in a very special corner of our hearts.” May they rest in peace!
Wakes and Luncheons. Our parish cannot, unfortunately, host wakes and visitations, even before a funeral liturgy in our church. There are staff, insurance, scheduling, and practical issues that stand in the way of this. We recommend that you use the services of a local funeral home for these purposes. Similarly, and for the same reasons, we cannot host funeral luncheons at our church facilities either. We recommend choosing a local restaurant or a banquet facility for your funeral luncheon instead.
Bereavement Ministry. Support groups are available for those coping with the loss of the loved one. Parishes provide these groups either directly or through the recommendations of local funeral homes. Remembering our departed loved ones at Mass may also provide comfort and healing as well. In some cases, counseling may also be needed. Each year, on All Souls Day, the parish community gathers to remember those who have died in the past year.
Words of Remembrance. There is a provision in the ritual book for some optional “words of remembrance” at the end of the funeral liturgy. These spiritual remarks are not the same as a eulogy. There are no eulogies in church. But, in the context of a church funeral, “words of remembrance” can be used to focus on your memories of the faith and the religious practice of your loved one’s Christian life. The priest always includes references to the spirituality of your loved one during his funeral homily. For more information about other “words of remembrance,” please speak to the priest personally about this matter. At the funeral home and the funeral luncheon, you can speak at greater length and depth about the past life of your loved one. May they rest in peace!
Catholic Funeral Rites commend the faithful departed to the mercy of God as they leave this world and enter into the next. As we offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice for the repose of their souls, we look forward to their resurrection on the last day. As we pray for our loved ones who have died, let us recommit our lives to Jesus Christ, who died for us, rose from the dead, and returned to heaven to prepare a place for those who have been saved through faith in Him.
Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy saints: where sorrow and pain are no more; neither sighing but life everlasting. Thou only art immortal, the creator and maker of man: and we are mortal formed from the dust of the earth, and unto earth shall we return: for so thou didst ordain, when thou created me saying: “Dust thou art und unto dust shalt thou return.” All we go down to the dust; and weeping o’er the grave we make our song: alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.