Our hope is that the following information will assist you in your time of mourning and guide those preparing to celebrate a funeral liturgy honoring friends and relatives. As Catholics, we celebrate the funeral in the sacred space of our church, to honor and commend our loved one to the Lord, trusting in His promise to prepare a place for us in heaven.

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF THE DECEASED. Saint Kateri Parish embraces the opportunity for any individual to receive the liturgical blessings of a Catholic funeral at any of its four worship sites.

There are no registration or religious requirements for those seeking funeral services for their loved ones at Saint Kateri. Often, people feel that because someone is not a practicing Catholic, they are not worthy or allowed to have a funeral mass or service. Our parish welcomes this opportunity to serve and share God’s message of loving mercy

Music Within the Order of Christian Funerals
Music is integral to the funeral rites. It allows the community to express convictions and feelings that words alone may fail to convey. It has the power to console and uplift….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. (OCF 30)

Music can be used within the three Rituals of Christian Funerals: the Vigil, which may take place at the Funeral Home, the Funeral/Memorial Mass, which takes place at the church, and the Place of Committal or the final act of the community which takes place at the cemetery/interment.

The use of personal, recorded or secular music can be used at the Funeral home or Wake, Closing of the Coffin or Place of Committal.
For Funeral/Memorial Masses, Saint Kateri Parish provides at each church site:  an organist, cantor, and/or Resurrection Choir Ministry. Click on the Music link for suggestions that may assist you in planning the Funeral/Memorial Mass:

Words of Remembrance 

These are not necessary, but often desire to be given. Saint Kateri, respecting this time of personal grief, offers an opportunity at the funeral liturgy to share Words of Remembrance, up to 5 minutes in duration.  If family and friends would like to have more opportunities to speak, we suggest sharing these words at, the funeral home, possibly the close of calling hours or at a gathering time following the funeral and cemetery service.

Suggestions for Memorable Words of Remembrance
· Pray about it.
· The words should present the person’s life in light of our gospel values. How did he/she model Christian living? The funeral liturgy is a solemn occasion soliciting peace. Certain personal stories should be reserved for other gatherings.
· Remarks should be written down. This affords valuable time in advance to organize your thoughts, rehearse it before others and check the timing. Get input from others you trust.

Things to Avoid

• Feeing you must accept this responsibility. If you do not feel emotionally or otherwise able to deliver the eulogy, please let the family know. You may wish to offer to help in another way.
• Telling a long story or several short stories. Experience shows that long stories are often best saved for later in a more individual setting.
• Thinking you must tell everything there is to know about the person. Pick one theme and focus on it.
• Telling inside jokes that will not be understood by some or use inappropriate language

When you arrive at the church on the funeral day, you will be greeted by a parish minister. We will guide you through the details of where to sit, stand, speak and address any concerns you may have. Please feel free to contact our staff anytime during this funeral process, one that is all too common, but never easy. Let us share the compassion of Christ with the comfort of His Resurrection.

We who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death.
“We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.” Romans 6:3-5