Funeral Information Form (Page 7 of 9) in pdf

Eulogy

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. The Church

emphasizes life in the funeral liturgy. The resurrection is the theme and the readings,

hymns, and prayers reflect the overall tone of expectant joy. During the Catholic funeral

we gather to pray for the repose of the soul of the one who has died, and to ask that God

will strengthen and console family and friends. The priest or deacon is the principal

Presiders of this sacred action between God and humanity, as we pray for the beloved

departed and for ourselves. The Funeral Mass is offered in intercession for the deceased

person because we believe that God hears our prayers for the forgiveness of the sins of

our deceased loved ones. We know that we are not alone, but are supported by God's

grace, by the community here on earth and by the communion of saints. At the funeral,

we derive strength from our Christian faith, which provides the true consolation we find

in the resurrection of Jesus, our source of hope in times of sorrow. Our attention is

centered on Jesus, who speaks to us through the Scriptures, and who comes to us in the

Holy Eucharist in our time of grief.

Under our current policies it is not our normal practice at St Francis to have eulogies

during the funeral mass. We understand that for some non-Catholic believers the funeral

is primarily a time for remembrance and celebration of a person's life. For Catholics,

however, the focus is different. We believe we are called to offer intercession for the

person who has died as they transition to eternal union with God – this is the central

focus of the funeral liturgy. For this reason, a eulogy is not best suited to the Catholic

Funeral Mass. A better place for the eulogy is the Vigil Service on the night before the

Funeral at the funeral home. Here, the family, called together by shared memories,

sorrow and prayer, are in a more informal setting. This makes it easier for one or more

persons to speak and to reminisce about the life of the loved one that they have lost.

Family and friends are gathered more intimately and can console one another as they

share cherished memories. Please plan to have the eulogy shared during this time at the

funeral home.

Funeral Ceremonies and Symbols

The Catholic Funeral Mass emphasizes our faith in Jesus' victory over death and our hope

in resurrection, even as we mourn our temporary separation from a loved one. We believe

that death is not the end, but the beginning of a perfect, permanent life with Christ in

heaven. Through the many ceremonies and symbols that are part of our faith, we find

hope in the midst of our tears. In order to help make the funeral liturgy more consoling

and understandable, we have provided some explanations of these parts of the liturgy.

The Priest's Vestments

Since we are celebrating our loved one's entrance into everlasting life and sharing in

Christ's victory over death, the clergy normally wears the color white, which is associated

with resurrection and used at Easter, weddings, baptisms and other joyous events.

Funeral Information Form Page 7