PLANNING FOR A FUNERAL AT ST. PETER CLAVER PARISH
It is our privilege to share in the sacred Mass of Christian Burial to celebrate the life of your loved one. We will walk with you in this planning process. Following are some simple steps which we hope will guide you through this difficult time.
- Funeral Home & Church:
- Meet with your funeral director at the funeral home & connect your funeral home of choice with the St. Peter Claver Parish & Rectory Office to begin the collaborative process of planning your funeral liturgy.
2. Meet with our Pastoral Associate:
Meet with our Pastoral Associate: Once you have chosen a date for the service, call and set up a meeting with our Pastoral Associate. The following details will be discussed at this meeting:
- Readings at Mass: Scripture readings at Mass can be a beautiful tribute and reflection of the life, faith and values of your loved one. To help you with this choice, you will be given a list of the most often chosen funeral scripture selections. You can view that list here. You are not limited to this list. If members of your family are comfortable reading the scripture at Mass, it is a wonderful way to involve multiple members of your family & extended family & friends.
- Select one reading from the Old Testament (read by family or friend)
- Select a psalm (sung by our Music Ministry)
- Select one reading from the New Testament (read by family or friend)
- Prayers of the Faithful: You may use the general prayers of the faithful that we have or you can choose to write your own prayers of the faithful. A sample will be provided and can be viewed here. (read by family or friends)
- Music at Mass: The music chosen must be sacred music. There are approximately five songs/hymns that are sung at the funeral Mass. If you have a favorite hymn, please let us know. Our music director will make the final selections and will put the music in the proper order in the Mass.
Remembrances Outside of Mass:
We encourage you to work with your Funeral Director to provide opportunities to share memories, stories, pictures and verbal remembrances of your beloved deceased without the time restrictions of the Mass. This is a most sacred and necessary ritual to honor the living and your beloved.
Remembrances at Mass:
A family member or friend might wish to prepare words of remembrance (eulogy). Mindful that this reflection is given within the context of the sacred Mass, we ask your family to observe the following guidelines:
- Remembrances should last a total of 5-7 minutes out of respect for all guests and to keep this moment in balance with the rest of the sacred celebration of the Mass.
- Reflections should certainly be written or typed to support the speaker on a difficult day and to provide focus.
- If multiple members of a family give remembrance, we ask that all speakers fit their reflections into the total 5-7 minute framework.
- Also, multiple speakers should coordinate in advance as not to repeat sentiments, but to offer a range of reflection.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns as we plan this most sacred and important celebration for your family.
Gigi Frailey
Pastoral Associate
GFrailey@spcwh.org
860-561-4235