Celebration of the Funeral Liturgy
The Order of Christian Funerals is celebrated in three stations: the Vigil
for the Deceased, the Funeral Liturgy, and the Rite of Committal.
The Vigil for the Deceased at the Funeral Home
As its name implies, the Vigil is generally celebrated the night before the Funeral. The Vigil service is typically brief, consisting of an opening prayer, a proclamation of Sacred Scripture, and intercessions for the deceased. Sacred music may also be a part of this service. If secular music or a eulogy is requested, these take place after the completion of the Vigil Rite.
The Funeral in the Church
At the Funeral Liturgy the community gathers with the family and friends of the deceased to give praise and thanks to God for Christ’s victory over sin and death and to commend the deceased to God’s tender mercy and compassion.
The funeral may take place in the context of Mass, or during a Liturgy of the Word that is not Mass. The church is the place where the community of faith gathers for worship. Therefore, it is best that the funeral rites take place in the church.
In the act of bringing the body to the church, the members of the community acknowledge the deceased as one of their own, as one who was welcomed in Baptism and who held a place in the assembly.
Through the use of various baptismal symbols we show the reverence due the body, the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Any national flags or insignia of associations to which the deceased belonged are to be removed from the casket at the entrance of the church. Then the baptismal symbols and gestures become evident.
The Paschal Candle is lit at the front of the church. The candle reminds us of the light of Christ, entrusted to us at our Baptism.
Sprinkling the body with Holy Water recalls the pouring of water in the
baptismal celebration to wash away our sin.
Placing the pall over the casket recalls the “white garment” we were given at Baptism as a sign of putting on a new life in Christ. Later, the body of the deceased is incensed as a sign of respect for the
body as a temple of the Holy Spirit.
The Rite of Committal at the Cemetery
In committing the body to its resting place, the community expresses the hope that, with “all those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith”, the deceased awaits the glory of the Resurrection. The Rite of Committal is the final act of the community of faith in caring for the body of the deceased. It may be celebrated at the grave, tomb, or mausoleum.
This Rite includes prayers offered for blessing of the ground, disposition of the body and for the consolation of those gathered. If military honors are offered, they are done following the completion of the Rite.
Sacred Scripture in the Funeral Rites
At the Vigil, Funeral Liturgy, and Rite of Committal, scriptural passages are read. The Catholic Church does not permit substituting other sources of literature for these readings. Poetry or excerpts from literature are appropriately read at the funeral home following the Vigil or at a later time when the family is gathered.
Flowers in the Church
Casket sprays are removed before the casket is brought into the church. They may be replaced at the end of the funeral. Flowers may be brought from the funeral home or sent directly to the church. They will be placed so as not to obscure the altar, pulpit, tabernacle, or block passage of ministers in the sanctuary. Very few flowers should be brought into the church during Lent.
When the church is decorated for Christmas or Easter, other flowers may seem redundant. You may wish not to bring them to the church during these times.
Scheduling a Funeral Mass
Funeral Masses are NOT permitted on:
Sundays at any time
Holy Days of Obligation
Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday
Funeral services apart from Mass can be scheduled on most days of the year.
