Funeral Celebrations

Funeral Celebrations at a Catholic Church happen either within a Mass or outside of a Mass setting.  Both types of celebratons will include music and scripture readings, options to have your family members and friends involved in the celebration, and may or may not have the remains of your loved one present either in a casket or in an urn.  At Divine Savior, the Funeral Coordinators work closely with the family members to create a celebration that is meaningful to those who will gather with you, and which honors both our Christian identity and the personal legacy your loved one leaves to all of us.  You can also "pre-plan" some aspects of the funeral liturgy for yourself or a loved one while they are still living or still active.  This is a great way to ensure that decisions are not made in haste or when emotions cause instability in family relationships.  We are here to help however we can!

To see the order of a Funeral Mass/Service, and additional ways to honor your loved one:
ORDER OF SERVICE & WAYS TO HONOR

Readings at funerals are to be from the Bible, specifically from passages relating to the steadfast faith of our Jewish ancestors, our relationship with Jesus, and his promise of everlasting life with him in heaven.  These readings have been specifically chosen by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to bring comfort, peace, and hope.  Poems and letters may be read only during the Remembrance at the end of the celebration, not during the Liturgy of the Word.  We encourage you to bring any ideas you have to your meeting with the Funeral Coordinator.

Old Testament - 1st Reading

• C-1: 2 Maccabees 12:43-46 "He made atonement for the dead"
• C-2: Job 19: 1, 23-27a "I know that my vindicator lives"
• C-3: Wisdom 3:1-9 "The souls of the just are in the hand of God" (Long)
• C-3: Wisdom 3:1-6,9 "The souls of the just are in the hand of God" (Short)
• C-4: Wisdom 4:7-14 "An unsullied life, the attainment of old age"
• C-5: Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9 "He will destroy death forever"
• C-6: Lamentations 3:17-26 "My portion is the Lord, says my soul"
• C-7: Daniel 12:1-3 "The wise shall shine brightly"

New Testament - 1st Reading during Easter Season

• C-8: Acts of the Apostles 10:34-43 "Everyone who believes in Him" (Long)
• C-8: Acts of the Apostles 10:34-36,42-43 "Everyone who believes in Him" (Short)
• C-9: Revelation 14:13 "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord"
• C-10: Revelation 20:11-12:1 "The sea gave up its dead; then Death and Hades"
• C-11: Revelation 21:1-5a,6b-7 "I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem"

New Testament - 2nd Reading

• E-1:  Romans 5:1,5-11  "...We were reconciled to God through the death of his Son..." 
• E-2:  Romans 5:17-21  "...through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all..." 
• E-3:  Romans 6:3-9  "...if we have died with Christ, we believe..." (Long)
• E-3:  Romans 6:3-4,8-9  "...if we have died with Christ, we believe,,,"  (Short)
• E-4:  Romans 8:14-23  "Those who are led by the Spirit of God are Children of God"
• E-5:  Romans 8:31b-35,37-39  "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
• E-6:  Romans 14:7-9,10c-12  "This is why Christ died and came to life"
• E-7:  1 Corinthians 15:20-28  "In Adam all die, so too if Christ shall all be brought to life." (Long)
• E-7:  1 Corinthians 15:20-23  "In Adam all die, so too if Christ shall all be brought to life." (Short)
• E-8:  1 Corinthians 15:51-57  "Death where is your victory?"
• E-9:  2 Corinthians 4:14--5:1  "The one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us..."
• E-10: 2 Corinthians 5:1,6-10  "We would rather leave the body and go home..." 
• E-11: Philippians 3:20-21   "He will change our lowly body..."
• E-12: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18   "If we believe that Jesus died and rose..."
• E-13: 2 Timothy 2:8-13  "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead..." 
• E-14: 1 John 3:1-2  "Beloved, we are God's children now..."
• E-15: 1 John 3:14-16   "We know that we have passed from death to life..."

Gospel

• G-1:  Matthew 5:1-12a  "The Eight Beatitudes" 
• G-2:  Matthew 11:25-30  "come to me . . . and I will give you rest." 
• G-3:  Matthew 25:1-13  "Look. The bridegroom comes. Go out to meet him" 
• G-4:  Matthew 25:31-46  "Come, you whom my Father has blessed" 
• G-5:  Mark 15:33 ---16:6 "Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last"  (Long)
• G-5:  Mark 15:33-39  "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  (Short)
• G-6:  Luke 7:11-17 "Young man, I say to you, arise." 
• G-7:  Luke 12:3-40  "Be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,..." 
• G-8:  Luke 23:33-43  "Today you will be with me in paradise."
• G-9:  Luke 23:44 -24:6a  "Father, I put my life in your hands."  (Long)
• G-9:  Luke 23:44-46,50,52-53  "Father into your hands I commend my spirit" (Short)
• G-10: Luke 24:13-35  "Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer..."  (Long)
• G-10: Luke 24:13-16,28-35  "Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer..."  (Short)
• G-11: John 5:24-29  "Whoever hears my word and believes has passed from..."
• G-12: John 6:37-40  "All who believe in the Son will have eternal life..." 
• G-13: John 6:51-59  "All who eat this bread will live for ever...." 
• G-14: John 11:17-27  "I am the resurrection and the life."  (Long)
• G-14: John 11:21-27  "I am the resurrection and the life."  (Short)
• G-15: John 11:32-45  "Lazarus, come out." 
• G-16: John 12:23-28  "If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies..."  (Long)
• G-16: John 12:23-26  "If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies..."  (Short)
• G-17: John 14:1-6  "There are many rooms in my Father's house." 
• G-18: John 17:24-26  "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me..." 
• G-19: John 19:17-18,25-39  "Jesus bowed his head and gave up his spirits."

This part of the celebration gathers the community's prayers for your deceased loved one, for family and friends who are grieving, and for people who might have shared in some aspect of your loved one's life.  Choose the document below that fits your situation (identical except for pronouns) and feel free to edit it to reflect your loved one's personality, faith, career, hobbies, and legacy.  The parish funeral coordinator can be of great assistance with this step, so please do not feel pressured to complete this alone.  You can also get ideas from other family members.  Please select someone from your family or friends to read these prayers during the celebration.

Prayers of the Faithful - Feminine Pronouns
Prayers of the Faithful - Masculine Pronouns

The music selections listed in the Planning Guide below and at the end of the Scripture list are meant to get you thinking, they are by no means an exhaustive list of appropriate music.  Any Liturgical Music may be used, and any favorite songs that your loved one or you felt were meaningful to you that are not liturgical may potentially still be played as a prelude or at the end, or at gatherings following the liturgical celebration.  The Funeral Coordinator will help you to choose appropriate selections for all parts of the ceremony.

For an interactive list of songs see this link:
FUNERAL MUSIC

Sometimes family members feel overwhelmed with the amount of tasks and decisions that are required after a loved one passes away, and it can be daunting to attempt to manage everything alone.  We encourage you to think about the gifts and talents of those who were close to your loved one, and people you trust to help you process information and feel confident about decisions.  The planning guide below contains ideas for how to involve family and friends in the planning of the funeral and in the celebration itself.  Your loved ones can arrange pictures onto posterboards, create a slide show, create a worship aid containing the order of the service, greet guests, read a Scripture reading, serve as a Eucharistic Minister or Musician, or any number of other roles within the service.  We are here to help you navigate this entire process, not just the aspects of the liturgical celebration, but also in dealing with funeral homes, cemeteries, and grieving family members who want to be helpful.

Click Here to Print a Checklist of things to remember when planning the liturgy.  The Funeral Coordinator will help you through these decisions.