In the Catholic Church, a funeral is meant to do several things:
Firstly, the community has a sacred duty to offer prayers and to bury their dead with dignity. A funeral is the gathering of the community to pray a loved one home to God. The community stands in witness before God and asks for mercy and for God to welcome the loved one into eternal life.
Secondly, a funeral gathers the parish around family and friends to remember with gratitude the gift of life given and shared with all, and in doing say to say goodbye.
Thirdly, a funeral is a gathering for the bereaved family and friends to receive the care, love and compassion of the community in their loss.
Some things to say about catholic funerals:
- Every Catholic is entitled to have a funeral Mass with all the prayer, honour and respect that a Catholic Mass entails. A funeral Mass is followed by either a burial or cremation.
- A funeral service can also be celebrated without a Mass and followed by a burial or cremation.
- Other options without Mass can be discussed with the priests.
- Catholics are permitted to be cremated.
- The closest cemeteries to the parish are in Noraville and Palmdale. The cemetery at Palmdale has provision for cremation.
- The Parish does not endorse any one funeral provider, and as costs vary, parishioners choose themselves.
- Funerals may be held any day of the week, when suitable to the family, minister and Parish.
- The parish staff is very happy to assist you in any way and are all available to help prepare and celebrate a meaningful liturgy.
- To have a gathering for family and friends of the deceased after the funeral is a common practice. In some cultures, this is called a “wake” or a celebration of resurrection. It is an opportunity for family and friends who have travelled distances to grieve together.