OLMC Funeral Process & Policies

"Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.”

We offer our sincere condolences to you and your family in this time of loss, and we are here to help you. The Catholic Funeral Rites enable the Christian community to mourn together as well as to hope, by focusing on the mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ. The information here and provided in our Funeral Planning Guide is designed to help guide you through this process.

Scheduling a Funeral

The first step is to contact the mortuary of your choice to handle the necessary arrangements. As a general rule, the funeral mass for a Catholic is celebrated in his or her own parish church. Once you have contacted the mortuary, please inform the parish via phone or stopping in to the front desk of the parish office. Our front desk can email to you or give you a physical copy of our Funeral Planning Guide to aid you in knowing the options you have available for the Liturgy, such as music and reading selections.

The Funeral Coordinator will work with your family and the Mortuary to find an acceptable date for the Funeral Mass to take place, to take place no less than one week after informing the parish office. Funerals at OLMC are normally scheduled for the mornings of Tuesdays, Thursdays, or certain Saturdays. As our church is very active with many events happening in it throughout the week, please be aware a specific date you have in mind may not be available, so it is important to wait to receive confirmation of a finalized date and time from our Funeral Coordinator.

We unfortunately are not able to provide any hall space for a reception.

General Information

The Order of Christian Funerals is a three-part ritual, with Vigil (viewing), Funeral Mass and Rite of Committal (internment). It is strongly encouraged that the Funeral Rites be conducted in the presence of the body of the deceased. This practice is most in accord with the sacred principles and rituals of the Christian Faith. However, the Mass of Christian Burial may also be celebrated with the cremains present in the church. Care should be taken that the cremated remains of the deceased are accorded proper respect through interment in blessed cemetery ground, or in a mausoleum. Any scattering of the cremains is not permitted, because of the reverence due the bodies and remains of the bodies of those who have been baptized and have been temples of the Holy Spirit.

The Vigil for the Deceased

The Vigil is usually celebrated at the mortuary. The Funeral Minister will arrange for a Deacon to be present and assist with a rosary or scripture service. The vigil service is the most appropriate time for a eulogy or reflection, sharing of stories, etc., as opposed to during the Funeral Mass. The Deacon will facilitate this at the family's request.

The vigil is often the first time family, friends and members of the parish community gather in remembrance of the deceased, for prayer and support. The vigil may be celebrated in the home of the deceased, in the funeral home, or if necessary and available, in the church.

1. During the wake, the Vigil for the Deceased is the principal rite celebrated by the Church in the time following death and before the Funeral Liturgy. The practice of scheduling a specific hour for the Vigil for the Deceased is encouraged in order for more of the faithful to participate in this liturgy. Devotions such as the rosary are permitted at other times during the wake.
2. The Vigil for the Deceased may provide a chance to take part in the funeral rites for those unable to participate in the Funeral Mass or Rite of Committal.
3. After the Prayer of Intercession or at some other suitable time during the Vigil, it is appropriate for a family member or a friend to speak in remembrance of the deceased (OCF #62).

Words of Remembrance

The guidelines for a Catholic Funeral Mass provide for the opportunity for a member or friend of the family to speak in remembrance of the deceased at the Vigil or after the Committal. Generally these words should be no longer than three to five minutes. Because of the intensity of emotions at the time of a Vigil the "words of remembrance" should be in written form. Those who wish to give a eulogy or to share a story about the deceased do so during the Vigil (Viewing/Wake) or even following the committal at the cemetery.

Funeral Mass

The Funeral Mass is traditionally celebrated in the morning. The parish church is the proper place for the Mass of Christian Burial. For the Funeral Mass, Christian symbols (cross, bible, scapular, etc.) may be placed on the casket at the beginning of the Funeral Mass. All secular items, like flags or medals of Honor are important, but not part of the Funeral Mass. These secular and important symbols are removed at the church door and a pall placed over the casket. This symbolizes our unity in Christ through our baptism. Christian symbols are only used within a church. Flowers may be placed in the church. A small table is placed in the front of the altar for the urn holding the cremains. Some families choose to have a picture and or flowers on the table with the urn.

In the dioceses of the United States, the principal rituals in the Order of Christian Funerals are the Vigil for the Deceased, the Funeral Mass, and the Rite of Committal. The Funeral Mass is the central liturgy of the Christian funeral in the Diocese of Phoenix.

The Eucharist is the heart of the Paschal reality of Christian death (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1689). In the celebration of the Eucharist, the Church most perfectly expresses her communion with those who have died. The celebration of the Eucharist at the funeral is an opportunity for the community of the faithful, and for the family, to “learn to live in communion with the one who has ‘fallen asleep in the Lord,’ by communicating the Body of Christ of which he is a living member and, then, by praying for him and with him” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1689).

Committal

At the cemetery, the Rite of Committal is celebrated, ending the three-part liturgy. A Deacon will accompany you to the cemetery for the Committal Service.

The Rite of Committal is celebrated at the place of burial or interment and never in the church. It is most preferable for the Committal to take place on the same day as the Funeral Mass, however in exceptional circumstances it may take place within a couple weeks following the Funeral Mass.

Cremated remains are always to be interred in a permanent place of rest at a cemetery. They may not be kept in the home, scattered, or divided into multiple vessels.