Process for Scheduling a Funeral
When a loved one passes away, the first step is to contact a funeral director and to coordinate a date and time of service with them. The funeral director will in turn determine a time and date with the church. If there is not a funeral director involved, you would then contact the parish office directly and we will help you to determine a time when a priest is available for a funeral Mass. And, if you wish to discuss the loss of your loved one or planning the funeral liturgy at any time with a priest, deacon of pastoral life coordinator, please contact our office and we will facilitate the meeting.
Advanced Planning of Your Funeral
Individuals may decide to plan their funerals in advance so as to lighten the burden on their loved ones at the time of their passing. We will keep the readings and music selections on file in the office until it is needed. If you would like assistance in doing any advanced planning, you may contact our Pastoral Life Coordinator, Martha Corkery.
Materials for Planning a Funeral
Below are the links to the materials you need for planning a funeral. If you would like assistance, please contact the Pastoral Life Coordinator at the Pastoral Office and she would be glad to help you with planning or any other coordinating of the funeral Mass.
Below are some resources to assist you in planning a funeral.
Outline of a Catholic Funeral - A form to help families make selections for the funeral service and to see which roles family members can play in the liturgy.
Readings to Select for a Catholic Funeral- A link to the Website of the USCCB where families can read and make selections of readings.
Music for Catholic Funerals- A list of Catholic hymns that our parish musicians are familiar with, have music for, and can provide at funerals.
Prayers of the Faithful - Select one of the two versions listed here for the prayers to be used at your funeral.
Are Catholic Funerals Expensive?
On occasion families have shared their impressions that a Catholic funeral is expensive. To address these impressions, we provide the list of charges here. There is a $100 fee for the church which includes a first-year anniversary Mass. There is a charge for the organist of $150 and for the cantor for $100. Families will frequently offer a gift to the priest as a thank you for their service. And, if a family faces financial challenges that make any of this difficult, they need only mention it to the pastor for his consideration of waiving the church costs for the funeral. As a faith community we wish to be supportive of our grieving families.
Bereavement or Spiritual Support
Losing a loved one can be very painful. Depending on the circumstances of a death and our relationships to the deceased, we all react in different ways. If you need any sort of bereavement or spiritual support our clergy and staff stand ready to help. Please let our Pastoral Life Coordinator, Martha Corkery, know if you need support and she will be glad to help you find the appropriate resources.