Funerals

“At the vigil, the Christian community keeps watch with the family in prayer to the God of mercy and finds strength in Christ’s presence.” (Order of Christian Funerals, no. 56)

The Vigil Service usually takes place during the period of visitation and viewing at the funeral home. It is a time to remember the life of the deceased and to commend him/her to God. In prayer, we ask God to console us in our grief and give us strength to support one another. The Vigil Service can take the form of a Service of the Word with readings from Sacred Scripture accompanied by reflection and prayers. The clergy and your funeral director can assist in planning such service.

The funeral liturgy is the central liturgical celebration of the Christian community for the deceased. When one of its faithful dies, the Church encourages the celebration of the funeral liturgy at a Mass. When Mass cannot be celebrated, a funeral liturgy outside Mass can be celebrated at the church or in the funeral home. At the funeral liturgy, 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.

The Rite of Committal, the conclusion of the funeral rite, is the final act of the community of faith in caring for the body of its deceased member. It should normally be celebrated at the place of committal, that is, beside the open grave or place of 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.

Most often the funeral home has already been contacted through the hospital, hospice center, or nursing home. When time allows, please call the parish to let us know of your loved one’s passing. We will add your loved one, you, and your family to our Prayers of the Faithful. At that same time, we can begin to talk with you and the funeral home.

There are a number of variables that enter into scheduling a funeral: availability of the church, availability of a priest to celebrate, availability of funeral home to support the funeral, and coordinating family and guest travel plans. It is best to have the funeral home contact us to make specific arrangements after the family has met with them. But also please feel free to contact the parish at 813-229-1595. We know that arranging the time can be complex as you consider family and friends traveling from out of town.

In general, funerals are celebrated at 10:00 am or 2:00 pm on weekdays. We are unable to support Monday morning funerals because of prior sacramental commitments. Saturday funerals are possible, but please remember Sacred Heart celebrates many weddings so often the church has been reserved months in advance.

Do not think that you have to do everything. Often you are attending to the details of gathering friends and family, so let the funeral home work with the parish to ensure the details are planned in accordance with your desires.

We would encourage you to meet with the priest celebrating the rites with you and the family. The priest can help you to choose readings, select music, and, if helpful, make recommendations.

The Funeral Rites are more than just the Funeral Mass. There is a Vigil service that can be celebrated in the funeral home the night before. The Funeral Mass is always celebrated in the Church.  The Committal Rite is preferably celebrated at the grave or the tomb.

Yes. Gathering at the Church before the Funeral Mass begins allows family and friends time to console one another, to say final goodbyes, and to enter into the spirit of prayer.

The funeral Mass follows the same pattern as a typical Mass with additional elements that draw attention to the place the deceased person had in the life of the mourners, and most especially, the Christian belief in resurrection. Some of these elements are:

• Covering the casket with a pall or white cloth which signifies the deceased life in Christ through Baptism. This is often done by family members;
• Sprinkling the casket with holy water, also a remembrance of Baptism;
• Placing Christian symbols on the covered casket. These may include a Bible or a
• Book of the Gospels (the part of the Bible which recalls the life and words of Jesus) and/or a crucifix.

Yes. Special hymns are chosen to be part of the funeral Mass. These speak to God’s presence even in times of sorrow, of our hope in the resurrection and other themes that allow the participants to pray in this difficult time. Sacred Heart’s Director of Music can help with the selection of appropriate and meaningful hymns.

Special readings from sacred scripture are proclaimed. The Order of Christian Funerals offers a wide array of suggestions. Typically, there are one or two readings taken from both or either the Old and New Testament (Hebrew and Christian scriptures), a psalm (usually sung and also taken from the scriptures), and a Gospel reading.

A Baptized Christian usually proclaims the first and second reading. A cantor usually proclaims the psalm, and an ordained minister (priest or deacon) proclaims the Gospel.

Readings for a funeral mass can be found here at the US Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishops’s website.

The funeral Mass provides the opportunity for a brief reflection on the life of the deceased so that those who have gathered in support of the family, but who may not know the deceased personally, will have a better appreciation for who this person was.

The purpose of the reflection is to draw attention to the deceased as his or her life bore witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is often best done in stories that are special to you and your loved one; stories that reveal the depths of the person you are remembering. It is always important to prepare! A rule of thumb is this: one piece of paper, one side, 1-inch margins, and 12-point print with 1½ line spacing will take about 5 minutes to deliver. You would not want to go much longer during the celebration in Mass.

At one time the Church did not permit cremation because the practice was associated with a direct denial of the resurrection of the body. Since 1963, the Church has permitted cremation for the faithful whose hope is in the resurrection.

The Rites are celebrated in essentially the same manner as if the loved one is present in a casket.

The Rite of Committal is the third station of the Catholic funeral liturgy, after the Vigil (usually the day or night before the funeral) and the Funeral Mass (or Funeral Liturgy outside Mass). It is normally celebrated at the site of burial.

The rite begins with an Invitation to Prayer, followed by a Scripture Verse, for which there are several options. Then comes the Prayer over the Place of Committal, with seven text options.  Next comes the Committal itself, for which there are also seven text options. After which come the Intercessions (four text options), the Lord’s Prayer, a Concluding Prayer (five), the Prayer over the People, with two forms of the final blessing, depending on whether the minister is a cleric or not, and a Dismissal.

A song may conclude the Rite. Where it is the custom, some sign or gesture of leave-taking may be made.

“Funeral Rites may be celebrated for children whose parents intended them to be Baptized but who died before Baptism. In these celebrations, the Christian community entrusts the child to God’s all-embracing love.” (Order of Christian Funeral #237)

This person is entrusted to God’s love and mercy, and is therefore entitled to the usual Funeral Rites.

By virtue of Baptism, this person is entitled to the prayers of the Church, including Funeral Rites.