Funeral Mass
- Choose a cemetery.
- Select a burial plot or mausoleum.
- Select a memorial or grave marker and inscription.
- Decide who will keep your urn.
- Decide who will scatter your ashes and where.
- Choose burial or cremation.
- Select a casket or cremation container.
- Choose locations and types of services.
- Choose floral arrangements.
- Select which photographs and memorabilia you’d like to display.
- Consider any customs, traditions, or religious rites that are important to you and your family.
- Choose the clothing you’d like to be dressed in.
- Select music and hymns, if desired.
- Choose a theme for decorations and stationery at your services.
- Arrange transportation for your physical remains and your family.
Pre-Planning Checklist
Ways to Plan Ahead:
- Choose a clergy member or officiator to preside over the service.
- Select any musicians whose talents you’d like to employ.
- Select pallbearers.
- Choose friends or family members to perform the eulogy, read scripture, or prepare a speech.
Funeral Service
Participants
There’s no need to make all the decisions right away. For personalized assistance in creating your plan, contact one of our experts to schedule a one-on-one meeting.
Final Disposition
Remember...
Pre-Planning Checklist
- Choose a cemetery.
- Select a burial plot or mausoleum.
- Select a memorial or grave marker and inscription.
- Decide who will keep your urn.
- Decide who will scatter your ashes and where.
Funeral Service
Ways to Plan Ahead:
- Choose a clergy member or officiator to preside over the service.
- Select any musicians whose talents you’d like to employ.
- Select pallbearers.
- Choose friends or family members to perform the eulogy, read scripture, or prepare a speech.
There’s no need to make all the decisions right away. For personalized assistance in creating your plan, contact one of our experts to schedule a one-on-one meeting.
Participants
Final Disposition
Participants
Funeral Service
Remember...
Pre-Planning Checklist
Final Disposition
- Gather personal information for your obituary.
- Choose a charity to direct donations to, if desired.
- Choose a funeral home.
- Make note of any instructions for your services and final disposition.
- Choose burial or cremation.
- Select a casket or cremation container.
- Choose locations and types of services.
- Choose floral arrangements.
- Select which photographs and memorabilia you’d like to display.
- Consider any customs, traditions, or religious rites that are important to you and your family.
- Choose the clothing you’d like to be dressed in.
- Select music and hymns, if desired.
- Choose a theme for decorations and stationery at your services.
- Arrange transportation for your physical remains and your family.
- Choose a clergy member or officiator to preside over the service.
- Select any musicians whose talents you’d like to employ.
- Select pallbearers.
- Choose friends or family members to perform the eulogy, read scripture, or prepare a speech.
Ways to Plan Ahead:
There’s no need to make all the decisions right away. For personalized assistance in creating your plan, contact one of our experts to schedule a one-on-one meeting.
- Choose burial or cremation.
- Select a casket or cremation container.
- Choose locations and types of services.
- Choose floral arrangements.
- Select which photographs and memorabilia you’d like to display.
- Consider any customs, traditions, or religious rites that are important to you and your family.
- Choose the clothing you’d like to be dressed in.
- Select music and hymns, if desired.
- Choose a theme for decorations and stationery at your services.
- Arrange transportation for your physical remains and your family.
Final Disposition
Ways to Plan Ahead:
- Choose a cemetery.
- Select a burial plot or mausoleum.
- Select a memorial or grave marker and inscription.
- Decide who will keep your urn.
- Decide who will scatter your ashes and where.
Remember...
Funeral Service
Participants
The Funeral Liturgy
The Funeral Liturgy is composed of the Vigil, usually the afternoon or evening before the funeral; the Funeral Mass and the Final Committal and Commendation at the cemetery.
Over twenty years ago, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) produced a revision in the
Order of Christian Funerals (Funeral Rites). A major trust of the changes and revisions was to invoke a greater sense of participation by family members and friends of the deceased. Locally, the Archdiocese of Boston has instituted “Guidelines for the Celebration of the Funeral Mass,” ensuring that the Funeral Liturgy will be celebrated with grace, dignity and respect.
The following outline will guide you through the Funeral Liturgy and highlight those moments in the liturgy when your participation is invited.
Suggestions for music are provided to assist you in preparing the Liturgy. If you wish, our Music Director will make appropriate selections for you.
Introductory Rites
The casket is brought into the church; the family and mourners follow. All national symbols (i.e. the American flag) are removed (and replaced at the conclusion of the funeral liturgy). At the break in the aisle, the priest will greet the family and will sprinkle the casket with holy water to ser as a reminder of Baptism.
The family then places the PALL on the casket (The Pall is a large white cloth that serves as a symbolic reminder of the garment that was presented to the deceased at Baptism).
The Liturgy of the Word
ONE reading from the Old Testament is to be selected by the family of the deceased and may be proclaimed by a family member or a friend of the deceased. (1 participant) ONE reading from the New Testament is to be selected by the family of the deceased and may be proclaimed by a family member or friend of the deceased. (1 participant) The PRIEST or a deacon will select and proclaim the Gospel and will preach a Homily.
The Preparation Rites
The gifts of Bread and Wine are placed on a table near the front of the Church. At the appointed time, the priest will invited members of the family to carry the gifts with reverence and dignity and present them to the priest.
