Catholic Funerals

Sickness, suffering and death are fundamental experiences of human life.  At some point, they will affect each one of us.  The death of people near and dear to us can be an extremely difficult and confusing experience.  As Catholics, we are encouraged by hope in the eternal life offered to us by Christ Jesus.  Through faith, we believe that, in death, "life is changed, not ended" (Preface of the Dead, Funeral Mass).

The funeral rites of the Catholic Church serve two main purposes.  First and most important, they are opportunities for us to pray for our deceased loved ones.  We believe that eternal life is a gift of love, rather than a right, it is crucial, therefore, that we gather to ask our Heavenly Father to welcome our deceased loved ones into His eternal, loving embrace.  The other purpose of the funeral rites is to support us as we mourn.  The Church's funeral liturgies employ a rich language and symbolism, chiseled out over centuries of human experience, to comfort the grief-stricken where ordinary words fail.

The First Step: Get in Contact

Knowing what to do next after the death of a loved one can greatly ease the burden of loss.  The best first step is to contact a funeral company who will begin to arrange the logistics of the funeral and who will make contact with the Parish Office to arrange the Church.  Our staff understand that this is a difficult time of transition and will do their best to make the planning process as simple as possible.  We will work together with your chosen funeral director to provide a prayerful funeral for your loved one.

Requiem Mass or Funeral Service

In the Catholic Church, you may choose between two types of 'funeral service'.  It is most common for the funeral to be a Requiem (Funeral) Mass.  The Mass is the greatest prayer of the Church because it makes present Christ's own death and resurrection, by which we are able to access eternal life, and so is the most common form of Catholic funeral.  It is also possible to have a Funeral Service, which includes readings from Sacred Scripture but does not include the Consecration or Holy Communion.  This form of funeral may be appropriate if many people attending the funeral are unfamiliar with the Church's liturgy.  In preparing the Requiem Mass or Funeral Service with the priest, you will be able to select from a variety of readings from Sacred Scripture, prayers and hymns that reflect the Catholic understanding of death and eternal life.

Rite of Committal

The final rite of the funeral process is the Rite of Committal.  This takes place at the grave, tomb or crematorium, where the priest leads a series of prayers and blesses the place of burial or internment. 

Liturgical Norms

Catholic funerals, whether they take the form of the Requiem Mass or Funeral Service, are prayers of both the individual deceased and their family, as well as the whole Church.  Therefore, the structure and form of Catholic funerals follow guidelines (norms) stipulated by the Pope and bishops.  These guidelines are designed to support the mourners but also to ensure that the funeral is a prayerful act of the whole Church.  The priest will ensure that your loved-one's funeral conforms to the requirements of the local and universal Church. The latest Guidelines for Funerals in the Archdiocese can be found here: Guidelines for Funerals

Music

Music has an important place in Catholic funerals.  "He who sings," reflected St Augustine, "prays twice." Music in Catholic liturgies is meant to help communicate the deep spiritual realities occurring and support our mourning.  Thus, music that features in Catholic funerals should be "sacred," that is, composed specifically for use in the Church's liturgical worship of God.  At St Peter’s, we prefer to have live music so that the congregation becomes actively involved in the singing rather than a recorded piece or performance that is simply listened to.  While this means certain popular styles of music may not be appropriate, there is nevertheless a great variety of beautiful and familiar music that may be chosen from the Catholic Worship Book II which is the parish hymnal used at St Peter’s.

In choosing the music for a funeral, it is important to consult with the priest celebrant.  He can guide you through your choices and explain unfamiliar aspects.  You may choose up to four hymns (for the Entrance, Offertory, Communion and Recession), a sung Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation, the Mass Setting (Holy Holy, Memorial Acclamation and Lamb of God), as well as special pieces from the tradition of the Church like the Ave Maria. 

Photo Tributes or Audio Visuals

At St Peter’s, we recommend that the audio visual presentation or photo tribute occurs at the wake where people are able to interact with the photos, music and continue to share memories of our loved ones.  For some, viewing these presentations can be an emotional time as photos of the deceased can heighten or intensify bereavement.  Gathering around food and drink with others in a more relaxing less formal way at the wake offers great comfort and support. We are fortunate to have such facilities in our Parish Community Centre to assist with holding a wake and to have the necessary audio / visual equipment, should families wish to use these.

Words of Remembrance

You may choose to offer the congregation some words of remembrance on behalf of the family, some people call this the Eulogy.  We suggest that this be between five to seven minutes with preferable one or two people offering an insight into the qualities of the deceased and how the family wants their loved one to be remembered.

Booklets

You may choose to provide booklets for the funeral of your deceased loved one as a means to helping those attending enter more deeply into the funeral liturgy.  For further information, speak to the priest celebrant of the funeral or to your funeral director.  Booklets may provide opportunities for your loved one’s photos and precious memories to be honoured in a special way as people can reflect on these as a keepsake. These can also be provided both in hard and / or soft copy.

Live Streaming / Broadcasting

We welcome the opportunity for families to live stream or broadcast the Funeral Mass or Funeral Prayers to allow those who are unable to attend in person to ‘be present’ virtually. You will need to speak with the funeral directors who will outsource this to a live streaming company who would be only too happy to assist.