Funerals & Preparations
Preparing for Death, Anointing of the Sick (Last Rites)
The anointing of the sick can be administered to a member of the faithful who, after having reached the use of reason, begins to be in danger due to sickness or old age (Canon 1004).
Canons 998 & 1004 can be summarized as follows. Those who satisfy three conditions may be anointed:
-
A baptized Catholic
-
Reached the age of reason
-
Begun to be in danger from illness or the infirmities of age, or have become sick again or underwent a further crisis. It should be noted that the danger need only have begun to exist. The person does not have to be "in extremis" (in imminent danger of dying).
To arrange for you or your loved one to receive this sacrament please contact the parish office at 561-622-2565. Our live answering service will contact a priest. Reminder, it is not necessary to wait until the "final hours" for receiving the Anointing of the Sick.
Planning Funerals
When the time has come to plan your loved ones funeral, please contact the Funeral Home of your choice, who will then contact the Parish office to coordinate the date and time of the Funeral.
Music
Family members should contact our music director Ed Persin at the parish to discuss appropriate music for the Funeral Mass. The Funeral Mass is a sacred moment to honor, remember, and pray for the deceased. Secular music during the liturgy is not appropriate.
Eulogies
Again, in keeping with the sacred nature of the Funeral Liturgy, it is not recommended that eulogies take place during the Mass. Given the secular nature of many of the stories shared during eulogies, the setting of the Mass is not the recommended or appropriate place. Eulogies are recommended at the Wake Service, the Rite of Committal, and the Reception or Gathering of family and friends following the Rite of Committal.
Praying for the Deceased
Memorial Masses
Given the transient nature of modern society, it is often difficult to assemble all of the family and friends of the deceased in a timely manner. The custom has arisen by which a private and simple burial precedes a formal gathering of family and friends at a Memorial Mass to remember the deceased. If a Memorial Mass is celebrated, the same care and diligence in selecting the music and readings should be practiced to maintain the sacredness of the Mass. Please discuss the restrictions in the Church's Liturgical Calendar with the priest before planning a Memorial Mass.
Mass Intentions
Our Catholic tradition offers the opportunity to have multiple masses offered for the soul of the deceased loved one. please contact the parish office to have Mass offered on birthdays, anniversaries, etc. of your beloved deceased.
From Holy Scripture
"... for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to. pray for the dead. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus, he made atonement for the dead that they might be absolved from their sins" (2 Macc. 12:44-46).
Funerals Rites of the Church
1. Vigil Service
At the Vigil Service, usually conducted in the funeral home on the eve of the Funeral Mass, the faithful keep watch with the family in prayer to the God of mercy and find strength in Christ's presence. The Vigil is a scripture or Evening Prayer Service (Liturgy of the Hours, Office of the Dead). The Rosary, or part of the Rosary, may be prayed as well, but not as a replacement of the Vigil.
2. Funeral Mass
The tradition of the Church has always been the celebration of the Mass with the body present. Christians respect and honor the body of the dead, which in Baptism became the Temple of the Holy Spirit. The Funeral Mass includes the reception of the body, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and the Final Commendation and Farewell. We are reminded of Christ's own words, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood shall live forever" (Jn. 6:55).
3. Rite of Committal
For the final disposition of the body, it is the ancient christian custom to bury or entomb the bodies of the dead in a cemetery, which means a "resting place". The Rite of Committal is the conclusion of the funeral rites, and may be celebrated beside the open grave or place of interment. The faithful express the hope that, with all those who have gone before marked with the sign of faith, the deceased awaits the glory of the resurrection and passes into the welcoming company of those who see God face to face.