If you have experienced the death of a loved one and are seeking to have a Funeral Mass at St. Patrick, we are here to help.
Please contact the Director of Communications, Mrs. Genie Dunn, at (214) 348-7380, ext. 2406.
In addition to assisting families currently experiencing a loss, we can help you pre-plan a Funeral Mass at St. Patrick for yourself or a loved one. Funeral pre-planning is a gift you give to your family and friends, saving them the difficult task of making funeral decisions during a time of loss and grief.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FUNERAL PLANNING:
Q: My loved one has died. What should I do now?
A: First, contact your loved one’s Catholic parish. If you are not sure which Catholic parish he or she belongs to, start with the parish church closest geographically to your loved ones’ home. Then, contact a funeral home and ask the staff there to work with your parish. The parish and the funeral home cooperate to provide care and comfort to families preparing funerals and burials.
Q: My loved one hasn’t been to Mass in years, but s/he was baptized Catholic. May they still have a funeral Mass?
A: A funeral Mass is permitted and even encouraged to be celebrated for any Catholic, even non-practicing Catholics, except in rare cases. The family, working with the pastor, should determine if a funeral Mass is the best option for a non-practicing Catholic. The Catholic Church has other options for Catholic funeral liturgies that may be more appropriate if your loved one was not a practicing Catholic.
Q: My loved one was an active, practicing Catholic, but the family is not. Is a funeral Mass required?
A: While a funeral Mass is not required, a funeral Mass is the best choice for a practicing Catholic who has died. Remember, the parish church community was also a part of your loved one’s life, and many members of the parish will also want an opportunity to mourn and to celebrate your loved one.
Q: Do we have to have a funeral Vigil service, or can we simply pray the rosary?
A: A funeral Vigil service is an opportunity for a family to begin the process of mourning and healing. It is also a time for the prayer and participation of those who are unable to attend the funeral Mass. If the family is accustomed to praying the rosary, a rosary could be part of the Vigil, along with readings from sacred scripture, prayers, sacred songs meaningful to the family, and eulogies. If the only person familiar with praying the rosary is the minister leading the service, it should be omitted. This is also the time for eulogies.
Q: How should we prepare our loved one’s funeral Mass?
A: Funeral Masses include sacred songs and hymns, Scripture readings, prayers, and sharing of the Eucharist. Your loved one may have made some funeral Mass plans before his or her death. If these can be found, they will be a good starting place. Your loved one’s parish church staff will also have many resources to assist you in planning your loved one’s funeral. Contact your loved one’s parish church as soon after his or her death as possible, so that the church staff is able to assist you in making your loved one’s funeral Mass plans.
Q: Does the Catholic Church allow eulogies?
A: A eulogy is a brief speech about the good qualities of the deceased person. Eulogies are appropriate at the funeral home, during the Vigil service, or during a family gathering after the Committal (burial). Eulogies are not allowed at the Mass.
Q: Does the Catholic Church allow cremation?
A: The Church earnestly recommends the pious custom of burial of the body, but it does not prohibit cremation, unless it is chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian doctrine. By burying the bodies of the faithful, the Church confirms her faith in the resurrection of the body, and [demonstrates] the great dignity of the human body as an integral part of the human person.
If cremation is chosen, the ashes of the person must be laid to rest in a sacred place: a Catholic cemetery, or a Catholic parish cemetery or columbarium, or another sacred space which has been set aside and dedicated for this purpose. However, the Church permits Catholics to be buried or interred in any suitable cemetery. A simple but worthy funeral urn is most appropriate for containing the ashes after cremation. Additionally: The ashes may not be divided among various family members. The ashes may not be scattered in the air, on land, or at sea. The ashes may not be preserved in mementos, pieces of jewelry or other objects. Keeping the ashes of the deceased in a house, apartment, or other residence is not permitted.
Q: Must we bury our loved one in a Catholic cemetery?
A: Ideally, a baptized person is buried in a sacred place: a Catholic cemetery, or a Catholic parish cemetery or columbarium, or another sacred space which has been set aside and dedicated for this purpose. However, the Church permits Catholics to be buried or interred in any suitable cemetery. Burial of the faithful departed in cemeteries or other sacred places adequately [expresses] the piety and respect owed to the bodies of the faithful departed who through Baptism have become temples of the Holy Spirit. Burial also encourages family members and the whole Christian community to pray for and remember the dead. The Church considers the burial of dead one of the corporal works of mercy. Through the practice of burying the dead, Christian tradition has upheld the relationship between the living and the dead and has opposed any tendency to minimize, or relegate to the purely private sphere, the event of death and the meaning it has for Christians.