Our time-honored funeral rituals are meant to thank the Lord for the gift of our dearly departed, to acknowledge how she/he lived the Gospel and what we can learn from the deceased and finally to console the mourners, reaffirming faith in Christ's Death-Resurrection.

Many Catholics like to gather at the funeral home for a Vigil Service the night before the funeral; such a service usually consists of a couple of Scripture readings regarding Death-Resurrection, a few reflections from family and friends and prayers lead by our Deacon or a pastoral minister with some training in this custom.  Some Catholics also like to have a time for recitiation of the rosary.

The morning of the funeral, the casket with the body is in the Gathering Space or by the baptismal font so people can pay their last respects and visit with family members of the deceased.

The Church encourages a funeral Mass with the body; the ritual of sprinkling the casket and covering the casket with a funeral pall as a reminder of the baptismal robe are more meaningful when the body is present.  It is permitted to have the body cremated after death and the cremated remains brought to the church.

After the funeral liturgy, burial in the ground or in a mausoleum can take place immediately or be deferred to a later date according to circumstances of weather and family availability.  Sometimes a graveside service is the only way a family can gather and give respect to the deceased (for example during COVID19 periods of lockdown).  Cremated remains are supposed to be buried or placed in a niche in a columbarium.

A booklet is available in the parish office to help with the selection of Scripture readings, music and articulating Prayers of the Faithful.

At Holy Name Parish, a eulogy from a family member or close friend is permitted if it is approximately three to five minutes in length.  Some families prefer to offer a welcome to all joining for the funeral and during that welcome, they offer comments regarding the life of the deceased.

At Holy Name Parish, funeral liturgies can be livestreamed at the time of the funeral and remain archived on our website for a month.  We also provide the family a thumb drive record of the entire service.

To schedule a funeral or memorial Mass, please contact the parish office, 248.646.2244 x307.