Other Aspects of Celebrating a Catholic Funeral

Day of the Week and Time
A Catholic funeral and burial may be celebrated on any day other than Sunday, excluding Holy Days of Obligation and other seasonal days of the Church Year. While many families prefer Saturday for funerals, such a celebration and burial is most difficult to schedule and pray. There are no staff members present, which can affect the quality and gift we, as a parish, want to extend to families who have lost a loved one. Whatever is the day and time desired, these will need to be coordinated with the parish office and calendar of the priest, to ensure the availability of all concerned.

Music
Appropriate music for Catholic funerals includes liturgical hymns appropriate for Mass, which focus on the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s Death and Resurrection, thereby inspiring the Christian faithful to trust and hope in the Mercy and Love of God. Song selections need to be arranged in advance with the music and liturgy staff of All Souls. (Please refer to the information and  list of music selections provided at: www.allsoulsmusic.com/funerals)

Flowers
If desired, flowers are welcome at the church, but are governed by the liturgical environment norms. Flowers should not be placed in a position that obstructs the view, movement, focus on the ambo (place where God’s Word is proclaimed), nor the altar. This is of particular importance during the liturgical seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter Time. There are no restrictions for flowers at the doors of the church, vestibule (narthex), or on the sides of the church nave (the body of the church).

Pictures/Photos
If desired, pictures of the deceased, the family, etc., are welcome in the vestibule (narthex) of the church. Many families consider such photos important when a guest book is used to memorialize who came to the funeral. In the church itself, however, the images/symbols of our faith (in the Lord Himself, and His Resurrection, such as the Paschal Candle, the altar, the crucifix etc.), transcendent reminders of Christ and His Church, and designed to inspire hope. No other symbols or signs should detract from these as the proper focus to direct our hearts and minds to the Lord Himself and to the Communion of Saints in Heaven, to whom we are commending the deceased loved one. A photo is obviously intended to remind people of the life lost in death; and it thus becomes a symbol of who was. Thus, a photo does not point to the transcendent reality of our faith, of where the deceased loved one IS–in the Merciful Hands of Our Savior, Who loves us, died for us, and who desired us to live with Him forever. So, during the Mass, or a Catholic funeral liturgy outside of Mass, no photo is present in the worshiping environment.

Items on the Casket
At the doors of the church, all items, if any (such as flowers, the U.S. flag), are removed from the casket, when the Mass begins. During these introductory rites, with the family gathered around the casket, a pall, a long white cloth which is a reminder of the baptismal garment of the  deceased and a sign of our Christian dignity, is placed on the casket. The preference is for the family to place the pall on the casket when invited to do so, though the funeral director staff or others may also do so. Typically, no other items are placed on the casket. After the pall is on the casket, a Christian symbol on the casket, such as a Bible or cross may also be placed on top of the casket. When the casket is escorted out of the church, then any flowers, flag, etc., that had been on the casket before Mass began, these may now be placed again on top of the casket.

Military Honors
In recognition of service in the armed forces, military honors may be accorded to the deceased at the cemetery.