Funerals

Funerals

Catholic Funeral

General information

Catholics believe that at death "Life is changed, not ended.” Death is a passage to a new and fuller life, and ultimately to resurrection and eternal union with God.


"If the spirit of God, who raised Jesus from death, lives in you, then he who raised Christ from death will also give life to your mortal bodies by the presence of his spirit in you.” Romans 8:11


Although death brings a deep sense of sadness and loss, faith provides solace and strength. It is a time when we encounter the things of God and our belief in Him in new way. It is a time for us to support and console one another — especially in our belief in the gift of eternal life. So, when as Christians we encounter death, we are drawn to prayer — to pray for those who have died and to pray for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one.


The priests, staff, and members of St. Edmond parish understand that the death of a loved one is a time of grief, and sometimes even anger. They will all do their best to make this time of transition as peaceful as possible.

The Church emphasizes life in the Catholic Funeral rite. To better understand Catholic beliefs about death and begin planning a Catholic Funeral Service, it is often helpful to first review Catholic Funeral Beliefs and FAQs. Next, in order to make the funeral liturgy more consoling and understandable, we have provided some explanations of specific Funeral Signs and Symbols. Since it is customary to celebrate a Funeral Mass when we celebrate death in the Church, the Readings from the Sacred Scriptures used by the Church are included for your review. St. Edmond parish uses the book “Through Death to Life” to help the family choose appropriate and meaningful Readings for Funeral Liturgies at St. Edmond. A summary of the Readings for Funeral Liturgies at St. Edmond are included for you review.


In addition, because in times of grief and sorrow, we often turn to music as an expression of our faith — of those beliefs and hopes we sometimes cannot express in words follow the guidelines of Music at Funerals, we have also included selecting Music for Funeral Liturgies at St. Edmond to help you select music that is both comforting and up-lifting.


There are several different terms used when discussing the Catholic Funeral rite. This brief description of the Difference Between a Mass of Christian Burial and a Memorial Mass may be helpful in discussions with your family and the priests and staff of St. Edmond parish.

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