From the Pastor Nov. 8, 2015
Diocesan Guidelines for Funerals:
(The following is from the Diocesan Office for
Worship)
For your faithful people, Lord, life is
changed, not ended. When the body of our earthly
dwelling lies in death we gain and everlasting
dwelling place in heaven. (Preface I, Masses for the
Dead)
In the face of death, the Church confidently
proclaims that God has created each person for
eternal life. As Christians, we rejoice in our belief
that Jesus Christ, by his death and resurrection, has
won this eternal life for us.
Because of this faith which we share, when
a Christian dies there is no greater source of
comfort for those who mourn than to proclaim
belief in the resurrection, and to celebrate the life of
the one who has died in the Lord. The purpose of
the Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church is to
comfort those who mourn, to celebrate the life and
faith of the deceased, and to proclaim that person’s
belief in the resurrection of the dead.
The liturgy of our Church, in the Order of
Christian Funerals, presents three rituals to guide
both this proclamation of faith and the celebration
of life.
Planning a Funeral: Sometimes people
resist the idea of planning for their own funeral.
However, it has become clear in recent years that
Catholics should be encouraged to make
arrangements with their families to assure the
celebration of the Funeral Rites of the Church.
These Rites are a sign and a statement of faith in the
resurrection of the dead. Parishes as well as funeral
directors should assist survivors in carrying out
these last wishes of their loved ones…..
Such ministry includes expressions of
sympathy from the parish community, and
assistance in choosing and planning the Funeral
Rites to be celebrated. This includes the Funeral
Mass, with its music, appropriate Scripture readings
and liturgical ministers.
The Order of Christian Funerals is divided
into three groups of rites which correspond to the
three principal times in Christian funerals: the Vigil
or Wake Service, the Funeral Liturgy and the Burial
or Committal Service.
Those making the
arrangements for the funeral of a deceased loved
one may have a celebration of all three rites, or may
choose one or two of them, depending on
circumstances.
The Vigil or Wake Service: The Vigil or
Wake Service, when used, takes place before the
day of the Funeral Liturgy, usually at the funeral
home where the wake is held. The rite consists of a
short Scripture-based prayer service…. Within the
context of this prayer service, short eulogies or
personal remembrances recalling the life and faith
of the deceased person may be shared by family and
friends.
The Funeral Liturgy: For Catholics, this is
the most familiar part of the Order of Christian
Funerals, and the central of the three rites. Friends
and loved ones gather together in the parish church
to participate in the celebration of the Eucharist,
both for the benefit of the deceased and in
thanksgiving for his or her life if faith….. In
addition to singing the responses and hymns during
the Mass, family members may place the pall on the
casket, select Scripture readings, or serve as readers
or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.
Following the prayer after communion… one
family member or a representative of the family
may speak in remembrance of the deceased person.
There are a few times during the year when
the funeral Mass is not permitted: Solemnities of
Obligation, Holy Thursday and Easter Triduum. At
these times, funerals may still be held, but the rite
for the “Funeral Liturgy Outside Mass” is used.
The Committal or Burial Service: This
last stage of the Order of Christian Funerals is
celebrated at the place where the body of the
deceased will be buried, usually the consecrated
ground of a Catholic cemetery. It is here, at the
cemetery, where the faithful proclaim again belief
in the resurrection for themselves and for the one
who has died. The service consists of a short
prayer, a reading from Scripture and prayers of
intercession. Either a priest, a deacon or another
parish minister can lead this prayer….. A eulogy
may be given here, if none has been delivered
previously.
May all of our deceased rest in peace.
Fr. Roland.