
Burial FAQs
Who can be buried from the Church?
Any baptized Catholic can be buried from the Church, those who have been most faithful in the practice and those who have been less faithful or separated from the Church, through illness, distance or special circumstances. Non-Catholic members of a parishioner’s family may be buried from the Church unless it was contrary to their wishes and will during their life. Catechumens who are in the process of the Rite of Christian Initiation are also to be buried from the Church. Children are honored with Christian burial if the parents intended for the child to be baptized but the child died prior to baptism. Unless there was some indication of repentance prior to their death, funerals would only be denied to apostates, heretics and schismatics, and those who are such notorious sinners that providing the funeral rites would cause scandal.
Can those who have died as a result of suicide be buried from the Church?
Can someone who has been unable to attend Church because of living in a nursing home still be buried from a parish church?
Why does the Church not sacramentally anoint bodies after death?
One purpose of the Sacrament of the Sick and its anointing of the living person is to instill hope and healing before death. After death, when healing can no longer take place, the Church has other prayers but does not anoint the dead body.
The Church provides a number of rites or liturgies as parishes offer the ministry of consolation to families experiencing sickness and death. First, for the sick, the Church has the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. As soon as a person is seriously sick or injured, the parish should be called to request the anointing. This anointing can be received many times in one’s life and should not be limited to the last hour of life. After death, the Church does not anoint the body but offers other special prayers commending the soul to the Merciful Lord.
The Anointing of the Sick can be received many times by a Catholic. Pastors often remind their parishioners that the sick are to be anointed at the beginning of a serious illness as well as through the various stages of the illness as it progresses. The sacrament is not reserved to be celebrated only within the last hours of one’s life. The Sacrament of the Sick is for the living and the hope of being reunited at the Altar of the Lord. Once a person dies, the priest may offer different prayers for the dead but does not anoint the body.
At the time of death, whom do we call to set things in motion?
If a person dies unexpectedly at home, the local police or ambulance department must be called first. If a person is under hospice care, the hospice nurse should be called first and they will then help you with the subsequent procedures. The Catholic Cemeteries serves the needs of families at the time of death and will also assist in the notification of the pertinent people or agencies. You can contact them at (203) 742-1450 option 4 or info@ctcemeteries.org. The local parish may be called directly by the family or left to the funeral director to make the contact. After the parish is notified and has confirmed the day and time of the funeral, the family will most likely be asked to come to the parish in order to collect further information regarding the deceased and begin to plan the funeral rites. It also gives the parish the opportunity to offer their sympathy through their bereavement ministry.
What are the funeral rites?
The Order of Christian Funerals (OCF) consists of a number of rituals, divided into three key times of prayer for families.The Vigil for the Deceased is the official prayer of the Church and should never be omitted. Taking the form of a Liturgy of the Word, the Vigil consists of scripture readings, a brief homily (or a reflection if led by a lay minister), intercessions and prayers. Its focus is on the Word of God as the family experiences death and their subsequent grief. Music is also encouraged to be a part of this prayer, which can be led by various parish bereavement ministers besides the priest or deacon. The Vigil is also an appropriate place for family and friends to offer their own words or stories (eulogy). Additional non-biblical readings or poems may be included in addition to the readings from scripture. Favorite non-liturgical music may also be played. While the Rosary is still a popular devotion, it is not a part of nor is it meant to replace the Vigil. It may be prayed by the family at any time during the visitation hours.
The center of the celebration is The Funeral Liturgy. “At the funeral liturgy the community gathers with the family and friends of the deceased to give praise and thanks to God for Christ’s victory over sin and death, to commend the deceased to God’s tender mercy and compassion, and to seek strength in the proclamation of the paschal mystery.” (OCF 129) The clear focus in the funeral liturgy is not to keep alive the memory of the deceased but rather God’s abiding presence and the wonders of his grace in the saving death and resurrection of Jesus, in which we participate through our baptism and lives of discipleship. Perhaps more than any other rite, this liturgy distinguishes our Roman Catholic tradition from other common funeral practices.
The first form of the funeral liturgy is “The Funeral Mass.” It begins recalling our baptism, when we first shared Christ’s victory over sin and death, as the casket is blessed with holy water and clothed with a white garment (the pall) and then placed by the Easter Candle near the altar. As we celebrate the Word of God as at every Mass, the homily follows. The homily “should dwell on God’s compassionate love and on the paschal mystery of the Lord, as proclaimed in the Scripture readings. The homilist should also help the members of the assembly to understand that the mystery of God’s love and the mystery of Jesus’ victorious death and resurrection were present in the life and death of the deceased” and in our present lives as well. (OCF 27) Hence the homily is never to be a eulogy. Mass continues in the usual way until after communion, when the prayers of Final Commendation and Farewell concludes the Mass, followed by the procession to the place of burial.
The second form of the funeral liturgy is “The Funeral Liturgy outside Mass” and is celebrated when a priest is not available, when a Funeral Mass is prohibited on certain days or when it is judged it might be a more appropriate celebration due to various reasons. This ritual follows the same format of the Funeral Mass with the exception of the Eucharistic Prayer and reception of Holy Communion. It may be celebrated in a parish church, a funeral home or another chapel.
The Rite of Committal brings to conclusion the funeral rites at the grave, tomb or crematorium. These brief prayers may be led by a priest, deacon or a lay minister or by a member of the family.
Are Catholics allowed to be cremated?
Who can read the readings at the Funeral Mass?
What music is allowed?
Can we have a eulogy?
Are priests the only ones who can lead the Scripture service or the Cemetery service?
What do we do with the cremated remains after the funeral?
Can we plan our funeral arrangements months or years in advance?
Individuals are certainly encouraged to plan their funeral, just as they make arrangements for a will, and for the financial means to pay for their funeral. This relieves some pressure from the family during the emotional grieving process immediately after death. It also clarifies for the remaining family members or representatives your wishes, e.g., the Funeral Mass, place of burial, music, readings, pallbearers, etc. Once these specifics for the funeral liturgy are known, the family then is left with arranging for the day of the funeral with the local parish church, funeral home, and cemetery.
The Advisors at the Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Bridgeport, LLC can answer your questions and assist in planning your future arrangements needs. Contact them at (203) 742-1450 or info@ctcemeteries.org.
What is the difference between a Funeral Mass and a Memorial Mass?
Are Funeral Masses allowed in funeral homes?
Why can’t we schedule the funeral in the parish when we want it?
Are there some days were funerals are not allowed by the Catholic Church?
Is there a fee to the church?
This fee is usally paid to the funeral home, which distributes it to the parish (and musicians, etc.). In the Diocese of Bridgeport, the fee may range between $200 and $300. The exact offering is determined by the local pastor. If the faithful, of their own free will, desire to give more to the parish, it can be accepted.
Due to tax considerations, a separate fee can be charged for the services of a musician and/or cantor. Those fees will be established by each pastor and the check will be made directly to the respective musicians.
Under no circumstances can the funeral rites be denied anyone because of financial considerations.
Can we include secular songs because they held special significance for the deceased? Do such songs have a proper place in the Funeral liturgy?
“Music is integral to the Funeral rites. It allows the community to express convictions and feelings that word alone may fail to convey. It has the power to console and uplift the mourners and to strengthen the unity of the assembly in faith and love. The texts of the songs chosen for a particular celebration should express the paschal mystery of the Lord’s suffering, death, and triumph over death and should be related to the readings from Scripture.”
Thus, while Funeral music may express “convictions and feelings,” its subject must always be the paschal mystery and it must be related to the readings from Scripture. Rather than adopting popular secular songs which are inappropriate to a liturgical setting, we should seek out good liturgical music on a paschal theme which can “support, console, and uplift participants and help to create in them a spirit of hope in Christ’s victory over death and in the Christian’s share in that victory.” (Order of Christian Funerals, number 31)
Why are we encouraged to pray for the dead?
Can I purchase a grave/crypt before I go to a funeral home?
Once I purchase my grave are there any additional expenses?
Can I purchase my monument from the cemetery directly?
Yes, our Family Advisors are trained to work with your family in creating a living tribute to your loved one. Often, memorials are included in a burial purchase package. This takes the emotional stress, and time, out of choosing a memorial, and reduces the expense of the monument.
The Advisors at the Catholic Cemeteries Office of the Diocese of Bridgeport can answer your questions and assist in planning your future arrangements needs. Contact them at (203) 742-1450 or info@ctcemeteries.org.
What happens if a loved one passes during winter?
Can I plant flowers on my loved ones grave?
Does the Catholic cemetery have payment plans?
Yes, we have many flexible payment plans for burial lots, crypts, and monuments.
The Advisors at the Catholic Cemeteries Office of the Diocese of Bridgeport can answer your questions and assist in planning your future arrangements needs. Contact them at (203) 742-1450 or info@ctcemeteries.org.
Do I need a foundation for my monument?
How many interments are permitted in a grave?
- Maximum two (2) cremation vaults per individual grave lot, with a casket burial. (grave is considered closed)
- Grave without a casket burial, maximum of 4 cremation vaults may be interred. (grave is considered closed)
- Regular size cremation vault: May hold a maximum of three (3) cremains (cremains must be in crematorium standard urn box to fit three cremains)
- Ex-large size cremation vault: May hold a maximum of five (5) cremains (ex-large vault fee applies)