I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

As the VIrgin Mary remained with her dying Son, so the Catholic Church is with us “at the hour of death”. The Church offers the greatest prayer for the deceased, the funeral Mass, preceded the night before by a Rosary or a short prayer service. Following the funeral Mass are the brief committal prayers at the cemetery. For various reasons, a family may forego the Mass and instead choose a simpler prayer service at the funeral home. The funeral director acts as a liaison between the family of the deceased, the parish, and the cemetery. Allow them do most of the work! Due to a lack of proper accommodations, Holy Family does not host wake services/visitations in the church.

Cremation is permitted for Catholics, provided that the cremains are buried as soon as possible. A person’s cremains must be treated exactly as we would treat their body: respectfully. Storing the cremains, scattering them, or incorporating them into jewelry is not permitted.

For the funeral Mass, the family may choose from a selection of Scripture readings. Choose one reading apiece from the Old Testament, Responsorial Psalms, New Testament and Gospels. The family can also select hymns. The parish secretary also can provide hard copies of these lists for you to look at.