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Funeral Regulations
Please consider the following regulations when planning a funeral Mass at either OLGH or St. Theresa Shrine. It is the obligation of every parish to provide for a dignified Catholic burial that respects the integrity and sacredness of the Liturgy:
- The services of a funeral home must be utilized when arranging a funeral Mass. A funeral director must be present when remains, including cremains, are brought into church.
- Cremains must be buried in a cemetery following the Mass or as soon as possible. For Catholics, the cremains of a loved one cannot be distributed, remain in a home or in storage, or scattered in any way.
- Funeral Masses may not be held on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday. Funeral Masses are also prohibited on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation.
- Eulogies are not permitted during any funeral Mass. Eulogies are, generally speaking, not a Catholic practice. The Bishop allows the pastor the right to restrict this practice in their parish.
- Appropriate words of remembrance may be given during the committal ceremony or during the wake service. The reading of poems or other non-liturgical materials is not permitted in the church.
- The family may choose and deliver readings from the approved liturgical texts for a funeral Mass (which are linked below). Only one reading is necessary prior to the Gospel, but two are permitted.
- Lectors must be Catholics in good standing. Generally, the Prayer of the Faithful will be delivered by the deacon or priest celebrant, if the priest chooses to incorporate this in the Mass.
- The use of outside musicians/soloists is generally not permitted. We employ a highly skilled organist and soloists who are contracted to provide sacred music. All hymns must be liturgical and appropriate to Holy Mass. Secular hymns or recorded music are not permitted during the funeral Liturgy.
- The parish reserves the right to veto requested songs, at the discretion of the music ministers, in conjunction with the pastor.
- St. Theresa's Church Hall is available for funeral repasts following committal. Contact the parish office for more information on planning a funeral repast.
Music
Readings
Readings
Psalm
· The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.
· The Lord is Kind and merciful.
The Lord is my light and salvation.
(May not be replaced with a hymn)
· Final Commendation:
In Paradisum (May the angles lead you…) or Au Ciel (Traditional French Hymn)
Hymns for other parts of the Mass
· Lift High the Cross
· Requiem Aeternam (Eternal rest grant unto them…)
· Ave Maria
· Be Thou My Vision
· I Heard the Voice of Jesus
· Lord of All Hopefulness
· O Breath on Me, O Breath of God
· The King of Love My Shepherd Is
· When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Only Lent)
· Adoroe Te Devote
· Ave Verum Corpus (chant)
· Alleluia! Sing to Jesus (not during the Lent)
· Be Thou My Vision
· I Heard the Voice of Jesus
· Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All
· Lux Aeternam
· O Sacrament Most Holy
· Panis Angelicus
· Shepherd of Souls
· When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Only Lent)
· Prayer of St. Francis
· Jerusalem, my Happy Home
· I know that my Redeemer Lives
· Amazing Grace
· How Great Thous Art
· Alleluia! Sing to Jesus (not during Lent)
· Be Thou My Vision
· For All the Saints
· Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
· O God Beyond All Praising
· O God Our Help in Ages Past
· Panis Angelicus
· The Strife is O’er (during Eastertide)
· Hail Mary, Gentle Woman
· I Am the Bread of Life
· Now Thank we All Our God
· Je'la voir (French)
· Ode to Joy (or other appropriate hymns with this tune).
· Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones (not during Lent)
· Battle Hymn of the Republic or God Bless America (Veterans)
· Traditional Latin Requiem Hymns (on request).
· Any Appropriate Marian Hymn, if requested.
Other appropriate church hymns may be used in consultation with the organist. For further assistance, please contact the the parish organist, Peter LaMoria. You may obtain his contact information by calling the parish office, 568-8280.
Readings
Readings
Readings
Readings for the Funeral Liturgy
In every celebration for the dead, the Church attaches great importance to the reading of the word of God. The readings proclaim to the assembly the Paschal Mystery, teach remembrance of the dead, convey the hope of being gathered together again in God's kingdom, and encourage the witness of Christian life. Above all, the readings tell of God's designs for a world in which suffering and death will relinquish their hold on all whom God has called his own. A careful selection and use of readings from Scripture for the funeral rites will provide the family with an opportunity to hear God speak to them in their needs, sorrows, fears, and hopes.
In the celebration of the Liturgy of the Word at the funeral liturgy, the Biblical readings may not be replaced by non-biblical readings. But during prayer services with the family non-biblical readings may be used in addition to readings from Scripture.
– Order of Christian Funerals, General Introduction, nos. 22-23
Funeral Liturgy Readings
First Reading
Psalm
Second Reading (or First Reading when no Old Testament Readings are selected)
The Gospel is chosen by Priest or Deacon who is preaching.