Funeral Liturgy

As the Book of Wisdom foretold, it is only in the eyes of the foolish that our beloved deceased are dead; that their passing away is considered an affliction, “their going forth from us utter destruction.”
(Wisdom 3:2-3).

Of all the mysteries in God’s creation, the most difficult to accept is death. Your brothers and sisters who comprise the Roman Catholic Christian community of the Church of the Assumption wish to offer you our sincere and heartfelt condolences in this time of sorrow and pain. We pray that your loved one may even now be resting in the arms of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, whose own passion, death and resurrection has gained for us the promise of everlasting life beyond earthly death.

Because we are a people of faith in the promises of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we celebrate with the ancient rituals of the Church the passing of our beloved deceased from this life into the full presence of God. These rituals have taken shape through the expressions of faith that have grown over the two millennia of Christian witness.

“God will bring forth with Him from the dead those also who have fallen asleep believing in Him.” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).

Liturgy

Music

All baptized Roman Catholics are entitled to a full Mass of Christian Burial, regardless of the level of faithfulness to Church practice by the deceased or their families. Only those under an official edict of censure by the local bishop or the Pope may not receive a Funeral Mass. In such an extreme case, a Funeral Service Outside of the Mass may be celebrated with the permission of the local Bishop.

We encourage the family of the deceased to take an active role in planning the elements of the Mass. A booklet containing the various Scripture readings, prayers, and intercessions used in a funeral Mass will be provided by either the funeral director or the parish office. Please take some time to read through it, and choose those elements you feel would be the most appropriate for the occasion.

Capable family members or friends are invited to proclaim the Old and New Testament readings and General Intercessions. The Psalm is led by a Cantor (see Music Guidelines below). A deacon or priest reads the Gospel. Scripture readings are proclaimed from the Lectionary (the Church’s official collection of readings from the Bible), not from pages torn out of a book or photocopies. Please ask readers to arrive at least 10 minutes before the funeral liturgy begins. If you opt not to choose readers for the liturgy, our Funeral Sacristan, Deacon, or Priest will proclaim the readings on your behalf.

At the beginning of the Mass, when the body of the deceased is greeted at the door of the Church, the casket is sprinkled with holy water and a large white cloth called a pall is draped over it. These actions are reminders of baptism (the pall, reminiscent of the white clothing worn by the newly baptized); for it is by baptism that your loved one shares in Christ’s victory over sin and death. Family members or friends are invited to place the pall over the casket. If none feel capable, the funeral director will fulfill this ritual.

When the body of the deceased is greeted at the door of the Church, the casket is then sprinkled
with holy water and a large white cloth called a pall is draped over it. These actions are reminders of baptism (the pall, reminiscent of the white clothing worn by the newly baptized); for it is by baptism that your loved one shares in Christ’s victory over sin and death. Family members or friends are invited to place the pall over the casket. If none feel capable, the funeral director will fulfill this ritual.

A family member or friend may also place either a cross, Bible or Gospel Book on the casket after the pall has been draped over it, as a sign that your loved one was, indeed, a follower of Christ.

If the body of your loved one is cremated prior to the funeral liturgy, the urn containing the remains may be brought into the Church by a family member or friend, or they may be positioned in a place of honor near the Sanctuary before Mass begins. In either case, the pall is not used.

Two or three family members or friends of the deceased are also invited to bring forward the gifts of bread and wine, which will become the Body and Blood of Christ. Please note that there is no presentation of symbolic gifts at this time.

A family member or friend of the deceased may offer words of remembrance PRIOR to the beginning of the MASS. We ask that there be only one eulogy delivered at this time.

Music affects our feelings and the atmosphere in which we pray. It expresses our thoughts, hopes and desires. It has the power to console and uplift us, while strengthening the unity of the assembly in faith and love. Because it is an integral, that is not optional, part of Catholic worship, music should always be incorporated into a Funeral liturgy.

The parish music ministers will assist you in your selection of music. We regret, however, that popular music (Wind Beneath My Wings, O Danny Boy, etc.) may not be employed for a funeral liturgy, but may be appropriate during the viewing or at the graveside.

Committal

This ritual is conducted at the time of burial. It consists of a series of brief prayers and intercessions, and usually takes place immediately after the Funeral Mass.

If cremation is to take place after the funeral services, the Rite of Committal takes place at another time.

Please note that Catholic teaching calls for cremated remains to be buried or interred in keeping with the dignified treatment of human remains. They are not to be kept in a home or sprinkled over land or bodies of water.

South Jersey Catholic Cemeteries

The Diocese of Camden Cemeteries are holy grounds, offering dignified, respectful resting places to the mortal remains entrusted to our care. Understanding that the cemetery, like the church, is a vital part of Catholic life, we truly believe we are blessed and privileged to practice this Corporal Work of Mercy through the age-old tradition of the Catholic Church.

It is our mission to help all Catholic families whether you are experiencing the death of a loved one or you are interested in a pre-need purchase. You will find many resources to help you understand your choices. We recognize that it is a privilege to be buried in a Catholic cemetery; we hope you agree. We encourage you to read and learn why a Catholic burial is your right. A Catholic burial is your choice, your privilege and your right.
Please call 800-594-4980 and we will answer your questions or schedule an appointment with a member of our staff. We aim to serve, please and console. Be sure to visit South Jersey Catholic Cemeteries

Holy Angels Parish - Policy on Funerals with Cremated Remains

The Church, inspired by Her Christian faith, has always honored the body of the deceased. Noting in the appendix on cremation in Order of Christian Funerals, the Church’s norms on the celebration of funerals, states, “The Church's reverence for the sacredness of the human body grows out of a reverence and concern both natural and supernatural for the human person. The body of the deceased brings forcefully to mind the Church's conviction that the human body is in Christ a temple of the Holy Spirit and is destined for future glory at the resurrection of the dead.” As such, we read further in the Order, “The Church clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for the funeral rites, since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the Church affirms in those rites.”

Aware that this not always possible, the Church provides for the instances where the cremated remains are in the Church for the Funeral Liturgy and offers the following principles:

The cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the human body from which they come. This includes the use of a worthy vessel to contain the ashes, the manner in which they are carried, the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition.
The cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium.

The practice of scattering cremated remains on the sea, from the air, or on the ground, or keeping cremated remains in the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent dispositions of the remains that the Church requires.

Given these principles, the following is the policy of Holy Angels Parish, regarding funerals with cremated remains:

An attempt should be made to encourage the family to cremate the deceased after the Funeral Mass has taken place.

Cardboard boxes (and similar containers) holding the cremated remains are not permitted at Holy Angels Parish, only “worthy vessels” are to be used for the ashes that are brought into the church. The Funeral Director is entrusted to make a reasonable judgment regarding this that is in line with the above principles.
If the ashes of the deceased are not scheduled to be interred in a grave, mausoleum or columbarium, no Funeral Mass will be permitted, only a Memorial Mass will take place. In other words, if the family is intending to keep the ashes of the deceased at home, or sprinkle them somewhere, or some intention other than internment, only a Memorial Mass will be permitted at Holy Angels Parish, without the cremated remains present at the Mass.