Funeral Rites

Vigil for the Deceased (Wake)
During the Vigil for the Deceased, the wake service will be held. This is the initial funeral rite. The celebration of the wake service is the time for the Christian community keeps watch with the family in prayer to the God of mercy and finds strength in Christ's presence. In this time of loss the family and community turn to God's word as the source of faith and hope, as light and life in the face of darkness and death. Those assembled at the vigil call upon the Father of mercy to receive the deceased into the kingdom of light and peace. 

The wake service is usually led by a priest or deacon. The priest or deacon will gather everyone together in prayer and then share a reading(s) from Scripture. They will then offer a brief homily on the reading(s) and prayers for the one who has died and for all those who mourn their loss. Everyone will then pray the Lord's Prayer together and the priest will offer a concluding prayer and a blessing.


Funeral Mass
The funeral liturgy is the central liturgical celebration of the Christian community for the deceased. When one of its members dies, the Church encourages the celebration of the funeral liturgy at a Mass, which is celebrated according to the Order of Christian Funerals.

At the Funeral Mass, the Church gathers with the family and friends of the deceased to give praise and thanks to God for Christ's victory over sin and death, to commend the deceased to God's tender mercy and compassion, and to seek strength in the proclamation of the Paschal Mystery. The funeral liturgy, therefore, is an act of worship, and not merely an expression of grief.

In the proclamation of the Scriptures, the saving word of God through the power of the Spirit becomes living and active in the minds and hearts of the community. In Communion, the participants have a foretaste of the heavenly banquet that awaits them and are reminded of Christ's own words: "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood shall live for ever" (John 6:55). Confident in Jesus' presence among them in the living word, the living sacrifice, the living meal, those present in union with the whole Church offer prayers and petitions for the deceased, whom they entrust to God's merciful love.

As an expression of our faith in Jesus Christ everyone in attendance is encouraged to actively participate in this Mass. The bereavement ministers will help the family select the readings, hymns, and prayers that are appropriate for the Funeral Mass. Family members or friends of the deceased can serve as pall bearers, place the pall on the casket and present the gifts during the Mass.


Rite of Committal
The Rite of Committal, the conclusion of the funeral rite, is celebrated at the place of burial or interment.  In committing the body to its resting place, the community expresses the hope that, with all those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, the deceased awaits the glory of the resurrection. The Rite of Committal is an expression of the communion that exists between the Church on earth and the Church in heaven: the deceased passes with the farewell prayers of the community of believers into the welcoming company of those who need faith no longer, but see God face-to-face.

The committal must be celebrated immediately following the funeral unless a good pastoral reason dictates otherwise such as travel to a distant cemetery. The Church directs that the cremated remains of the deceased must be interred in a consecrated burial site.