CELEBRATION OF THE CATHOLIC FUNERAL RITES
The Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church have a fourfold purpose:
To give expression to the grief and sense of loss that we feel at the
death of a loved one;
To celebrate and give thanks to God for the wonderful gift that this
person was during his/her life;
To commend the deceased to the love and mercy of God;
To express our own hope of sharing fully in the eternal life of Jesus
Christ, our Risen Lord.
There are three principal Rites that may be celebrated:
The Vigil for the Deceased. (OPTIONAL)
This is a rather brief prayer service which may be celebrated the
evening before the Funeral Mass, either in the parish Church or in the Chapel
of the Mortuary. It includes prayers, readings from the Bible, and a brief
reflection. The recitation of the
Rosary, since it is essentially a private devotion, is not part of the Vigil
service. Families who wish to pray
the Rosary are encouraged to do so privately as a part of the informal
visitation at the Mortuary or at home. In published obituary notices, this
service should be referred to as “The Vigil for the Deceased.”
The Funeral Mass. This celebration
is central to our lives as Catholics.
As we are united with Jesus in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we
proclaim and intimately share his life, death, and resurrection. This
celebration takes place in the parish Church. In published obituary notices,
this celebration is referred to as the “Funeral Mass.”
The Rite of Committal. This Rite
takes place at the Cemetery or Mausoleum.
It is a brief prayer service at the place of burial, and concludes the
Funeral Rites.It is important to keep in mind that formal Funeral processions
are not permitted in Ventura County; thus, it may be necessary to provide
directions or maps for those who will be joining you for the Rite of
Committal.
PLANNING THE FUNERAL RITES
The scheduling of times for services must include the personnel of both
the parish and the Mortuary with the members of the family of the
deceased. Please be sure to consult
with the parish office before finalizing any time with the mortuary.
Eulogies by family members or friends.(OPTIONAL) These are best done at the Vigil, after the formal prayer
service has been concluded. They should be brief and appropriate, and always
written out beforehand. A good guide
for a timeline would be five minutes, with only one or two speakers. It is appropriate to present the text for
the eulogy to the presiding priest or other minister on the day before the
Funeral. If the Vigil is not celebrated, the eulogy may be give at the
conclusion of the Funeral Mass, after the Prayer after Communion. In this instance, the very maximum would
be five minutes, with no more than two speakers sharing that time.
Participation of other clergy. If
a family member or close friend is a minister of another faith and wishes to
participate in any of the Funeral Rites, he/she is very welcome to do so. The participating minister is asked to
consult with the presiding priest beforehand in order to co-ordinate his/her
part in the Rite with that of the parish priest, and in order to avoid
duplication of readings and remarks.
Catholic clergy would normally concelebrate with the parish priest.
Cremation. The Church prefers
that, if a body is to be cremated, the cremation take place after the Funeral
Mass has been celebrated. For this
situation, rental caskets are available from most mortuaries. The Rite of Committal is then scheduled
for a later time. If cremation takes place before the celebration of the
Funeral Mass, the cremated remains may be placed on a small table where
normally the casket of the deceased would rest..
Music. A list of musicians is
available at the parish office. Music
at Funeral Rites should be sacred rather than secular in tone. Congregational singing is the preferred
type of participation in the Funeral Mass.
Norms for Catholic Liturgy do not allow for recorded music.
The presiding priest and parish staff will be happy to assist you in
selecting readings from the Scriptures which are appropriate for the Funeral
Rites.
