Funerals

1681 The Christian meaning of death is revealed in the light of the Paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ in whom resides our only hope. The Christian who dies in Christ Jesus is “away from the body and at home with the Lord.”

1682 For the Christian the day of death inaugurates, at the end of his sacramental life, the fulfillment of his new birth begun at Baptism, the definitive “conformity” to “the image of the Son” conferred by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and participation in the feast of the Kingdom which was anticipated in the Eucharist- even if final purifications are still necessary for him in order to be clothed with the nuptial garment.

If your family has lost a loved one, please call the parish office and schedule a time to prepare for a funeral Mass. We are here to help. If you would like to have a Rosary said, we have volunteers who are willing to lead it. On weekdays, our parish hall is available (most of the time) for funeral receptions, and our Food For Funeral volunteers will serve food and even purchase food if necessary.

*All of the numbered paragraphs above were taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Funeral Planning Steps

Planning a funeral can be overwhelming. Assumption and your funeral home will assist you in every step along the way. The following can serve as a guide.

Step One:
Please contact your funeral home to set up a date for the service. The funeral home will then contact Assumption to coordinate and confirm the date.

Step Two:
Please visit the parish office to prepare the funeral-planning document.

Step Three:
Your family will be asked to select readings for the Mass. The secretary will provide you with all the readings. Individual tributes or eulogies are not permitted at the funeral Mass. They are reserved for the Vigil or Rosary service (normally, the afternoon or evening before the day of the Funeral Mass) or for a reception following the funeral liturgy. 

Guidelines, Policies, and Procedures for Funerals

Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ,

We are deeply sorry for your loss. Please know that you and your family have our deepest sympathy and the assurance of our prayers. When God calls a loved one home to himself, we are quickly faced with a number of difficult decisions which must be made in a relatively short period of time. The parish family of Assumption of the B.V.M. wants to be as supportive and helpful as we can be during your time of need. We want to be with you at the death of a loved one in a way that is marked by Christian faith, hope and love. To aid you, we have prepared some notes to help you focus on the key decisions which will need to be made.

OUR CATHOLIC FAITH

“In the face of death, the Church confidently proclaims that God has created each person for eternal life and that Jesus, the Son of God, by his death and resurrection, has broken the chains of sin and death that bound humanity. Christians celebrate the funeral rites to offer worship, praise and thanksgiving to God for the gift of a life which has now been returned to God, the author of life and the hope of the just”

(Order of Christian Funeral).

LITURGICAL RITES

The presence of the Christian community is most evident during the three distinct ritual “moments” which mark our prayers for the Deceased and our attempt to comfort the bereaved: The Vigil Rite, the Funeral Mass, and the Rite of Committal (graveside service) are the three principal parts which make up the Rite of Christian Burial. We encourage families to make use of this rich heritage of Church Tradition.

Vigil Rite

The Vigil Rite customarily takes place in the Chruch on the evening before the Funeral Mass. The Vigil is a major component of the Order of Christian Funerals. 
The Vigil follows a model of the Liturgy of the Word, centering on the Word of God proclaimed from Scripture. After a brief reflection on the Scripture readings, the presider may invite family and friends to share their memories of the deceased.

Some families may choose to have the holy rosary instead of the Vigil Rite. The rosary generally is recited at a local funeral home on the evening prior to the Funeral Mass. It is also recommended that the family consider the Eulogy as a part of the Vigil Rite, a time when families gather and share stories and memories as well as pray.

If the rosary is not recited in the evening at the funeral home, it can be recited a half hour before Funeral Mass at the Chruch.

Viewing at the funeral home - is a wonderful time for the family to gather on the night of the viewing to pray, read scripture passages, and the preferred poem of the deceased, listen to their favorite song, eulogize them or allow family members to share memories of their loved one. You should inquire with your funeral director about having a podium and microphone available for your use the evening of the viewing.

The Funeral Mass

The Funeral Mass is the central prayer of the Church community for the deceased and with the family and friends of the Deceased. The Mass is the prayer by which the power of Christ’s own suffering, death and resurrection and the Eucharistic Communion of the Church is offered for the benefit of the Deceased.

It is important to remember that, although the Mass is a great source of consolation for those mourning the loss of their loved one, its primary purpose is to be offered for the repose of the soul of the person who has died, and it is an obligation of the Catholic community on behalf of those who have died in faith, seeking everlasting life.

Funeral Mass is permitted in the presence of the cremated remains of the Deceased, but it is the preferred custom of the Church that, if the body is to be cremated, the Funeral Mass first be celebrated in the presence of the body, and that cremation take place following the Mass if possible.

No one who is a member of the parish or, indeed, even non-Catholics who live within the boundaries of the parish, will be refused a Christian burial if it is requested of Assumption of the B.V.M. Parish.

For non-Catholics, the Funeral Mass is usually substituted with a Liturgy of the Word (without Eucharist), which may take place in the church or the funeral home, depending on the wishes of the family.

The Rite of Committal

Christian burial is the Church’s final act of prayer in the presence of the body or bodily remains of the deceased. These rites are held at the place of committal, at graveside. The prayers are fairly brief and bring the entire liturgical process to a conclusion. The burial generally follows immediately after the Funeral Mass.

The Rite of Committal also includes appropriate prayers for situations in which cremation is chosen. When cremation takes place after the Funeral Liturgy, the Rite of Committal is carried out at a later date when the cremated remains are ready for interment. Out of reverence for the cremated remains, Church guidelines require that they must be buried or placed in a vault; they may not be scattered.

 In Christ,

 Fr. Jaroslaw Nowacki

For Guidelines regarding music in the funeral liturgy, please click on the button below.