In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to his disciples “about the end which is to come.” Two weeks ago, we welcomed the families and loved ones of our parishioners who have died in the last year, remembering them and surrounding them with the prayer of the Church.

Our Christian faith affirms that death is not the end. “Life is changed, not ended.” Through its funeral rites, the Church commends the dead to God’s merciful love, and brings hope and consolation to the living. Christian hope faces the reality of death and the anguish of grief but trusts confidently that the power of death has been vanquished by Jesus, the Risen Lord.

As a Church family, we gather to pray for the deceased. We offer the support and consolation of our faith in the Resurrection to the family and loved ones of the departed brother or sister. The Church has a long tradition of celebrating the funeral rituals in the parish church. This begins with a Prayer Vigil, usually held at the funeral home. It continues with the celebration of the Funeral Mass, held in the parish church, preferably in the presence of the body. (When cremation happens before the funeral Mass, the urn with the ashes of the deceased is brought to the church.) When burial immediately follows, the rite concludes with the procession to the cemetery (or mausoleum) for the rite of Christian burial.

Exceptionally, circumstances may require that the Catholic funeral service be held in a funeral home chapel. It is important to note that in this case, only a liturgy of the Word is conducted. There is no Mass or distribution of Holy Communion. Whenever possible, it is important that we respect the final wishes of the deceased. Practicing Catholics, to whom the sacraments and belonging to their parish have been very important, usually desire the complete funeral rites of the church.

If you have not already done so, please communicate to your loved ones your wishes in this area. Include it in your will. If you are making prearrangements with a funeral home, you may want to confirm that the “package” you have selected includes a funeral Mass in church, if this is your desire. At the time of the death of a loved one, the parish team is always willing to assist families make these important decisions. Please contact us so that we can help you in any way we can.