The Catholic Funeral Rites in the Order of Christian Funerals (1989) are celebrations that enable the Christian community to mourn as well as to hope by focusing on the mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ. The Funeral Mass is ordinarily the central element of Catholic funerals.
The Funeral Mass is a prayer for God's mercy for the deceased and a solace for the living, including the entire faith community. The Church encourages the burial of Catholics in Catholic cemeteries (Canon 1180.1). Burial in the consecrated ground of a Catholic cemetery is a sign of baptismal commitment and gives witness, even in death, to faith in Christ's resurrection.
Please use the links below to review the readings and the music to help plan the Mass.