Planning a Funeral

Funeral Music

Music is integral to 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 the mourners and to strengthen the unity of the assembly in faith and love. The texts of 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. 
 
Since music can evoke strong feelings, the music for the celebration rites should be chosen with great care. The music at funerals should support, console, and uplift the participants and should help to create in them a spirit of hope in Christ’s victory over death and in the Christian’s share in the victory.  
 
Contact the parish office to coordinate music and musicians.  

Funeral Readings 

The Scriptures appropriate for use at Catholic Funeral Liturgy are in a booklet entitled, "Through Death to Life," by Joseph M. Champlin. You will be offered one of these booklets or click on the link for reading selections. 

As a convenience, the readings for the Funeral Mass are listed on the link to the left entitled Reading Selections. You may view the readings by going to that page and pre-selecting the ones to best represent your wishes at the service. One reading should be selected from each of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Gospels.  
 
*Other Scripture passages can be presented to the presider for approval.  
**Non-Scripture readings cannot be read in place of these readings.