Funeral Information and Guidelines

Funeral Service Information

It is good to plan ahead of time, giving you the opportunity to express your personal wishes, and to relieve the burden of those you love from making these decisions at a most difficult time. Many funeral homes and cemeteries have advance planning and will help you with the arrangements.

Upon the death of a loved one, a family member should contact the parish office as soon as possible; such timely notification facilitates the necessary planning of the funeral rites. Funeral Masses can be celebrated on any day of the week except: Solemnities (Holy Days of Obligation, including Sundays), Holy Thursday, and during the Easter Triduum. The day, time, and type of service must be arranged with the church and with the presiding priest's calendars, once determined the planning will begin.

Our parish is blessed to have the services of men and women who serve as "Bereavement Ministers". They will assist the family in planning for the various liturgical services for the deceased. For answers to commonly asked questions, please refer to our funeral FAQ. Use the Funeral Service Form to begin planning your service with the Church.

Funeral Rites
As Catholics, we celebrate the funeral rites to offer worship, praise and thanksgiving for the gift of life which has now returned to God, the author of life and the hope of the just. The Church identifies three principal rites of celebration, with the flexibility to choose the rite and/or rites that best serves you and your family.

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Symbolic Elements
Many symbolic items are used during a funeral service and it is necessary to know of the importance of what these symbols represent.

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A Final Thought on Catholic Funerals
As members of the body of Christ, when one suffers, we all suffer. Therefore, we are called on as a community to care for the dying, to console those who mourn, and to participate in the funeral rites. The celebration of a Christian funeral brings hope and consolation to the living. Prayerful preparation and planning of the funeral rites will help you and your loved ones deal successfully and gracefully with the ultimate rite of passage through death to eternal life.