 Arranging a Funeral
“All the sacraments, and principally those of Christian initiation, have as their goal the last Passover of the child of God which, through death, leads him into the life of the Kingdom. Then what he confessed in faith and hope will be fulfilled: "I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come."
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1680 The funeral rites of a Catholic are a sacred occasion, where we gather to focus on the Paschal Mystery of Christ and to pray for the deceased in the hope of the resurrection. When a loved one dies, there are a lot of arrangements to be put in place in a short space of time. This can be very challenging at an especially emotional time in the life of a family, but there are people there to help. If the death of a loved one is expected, call the doctor or G.P. who has been caring for them. If they have not been attended by a priest recently, contact one of the parish clergy so that the dying person may receive the last rites of the Church. If your loved-one is in hospital or a care home, ask a member of staff to page the on-call chaplain. After the death of a loved-one, you should then contact the priest in your Parish to notify them of the death and make initial funeral arrangements (e.g. date and time). It is also a good idea to telephone funeral director at this time to make the initial arrangements for the funeral with them. Normally the funeral director will liaise with the parish staff to confirm the date and time of the funeral, but it is important for you, the familiy, to do this as well. During the wake, the priest will call at the house to sympathise with the family, lead the vigil prayers and make any final arrangements for the funeral. If the deceased did not live within the parish, but wished to have their funeral at Saint Patrick’s, this can normally only take place providing a priest from their parish of residence agrees to celebrate the funeral liturgy and burial. |
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