The Catholic funeral rites celebrate the mystery of our life, death and resurrection in Christ. Through Baptism we enter into this mystery. We live our lives in the hope of sharing eternal life with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit when we complete our passage through death. For us Christians, death in Christ results in life in greater abundance.As the preface prayer for Christian burials states "in death we believe that life is changed, not ended." For this reason, the celebration of a Christian funeral, while certainly recognizing the loss of a loved one, is marked most strongly by the belief that death is a doorway through which we all must pass, which leads to a new and eternal life beyond this one.
Our separation from our loved ones in death is real, but not permanent, for we all live and die in hope of resurrection and unending life with Christ and our loved ones who have gone before us. The Christian funeral is an acknowledgement of grief and loss but also a statement of hope and confidence in the goodness of God
If you are planning a funeral, know of our prayers and support for you in your time of loss, we hope that the following resources will be helpful in planning a liturgy which fittingly celebrates the life of your beloved.
Usually, the process of arranging a funeral begins as the funeral home contacts St. Vincent's at the request of the family. In some cases, the staff of the parish may already be aware of a serious illness or condition, but the funeral home is vital point of contact between the parish and the family.
When the funeral home contacts the parish a time and date mutually agreeable to the family, the funeral home and the parish is set, and one of the parish priests will be assigned to officiate. Parishioners may request the services of a particular priest, but availability may depend on other factors. Once a priest has been selected for the funeral, he will contact the family via the information from the funeral home to offer condolences and to plan the ceremony. Below are links to two pages, one providing answers to frequently asked questions about funerals at St. Vincent's and the other containing links to suggested scripture readings for funerals.
If you have any questions or concerns along the way in the process of planning a funeral, please contact the priest who will be officiating or call the Parish office at 708-366-7090.
