If you are visiting this page due to the loss of a loved one, please accept our sincerest condolences.
The following information is provided to assist in the preparation of the Funeral Mass at St. Eugene church. You are also invited to visit the Diocese of Providence’s Catholic Cemeteries website for more information.
The Rites of the Church
All the baptized are entitled to and called to have the full Rite of Christian Burial. Catholic Funeral Rites are composed of three distinct and important parts:
Part 1: Vigil for the Deceased
The Vigil for the Deceased is a Catholic Rite involving a sequence of prayers for the person who has passed and his/her loved ones. It takes place during the Wake/Visiting Hours at the funeral home where the funeral arrangements for the deceased have been made. The Pastor will lead this rite. The rite includes prayers for the deceased, readings from Sacred Scripture, intercessory prayers, and prayers for the deceased’s loved ones. service of prayer and Scripture.
Part 2: The Funeral Mass
The Funeral Mass is the most important of the Catholic Funeral Rites. The Funeral Mass is celebrated to honor, give thanks for, and spiritually bring forth into the present moment the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through it, we honor God, obtain grace for the deceased (which helps them get into Heaven), and have our faith and hope in the resurrection of the body and eternal life strengthened. We believe that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God and that we are created to be united to Him-this includes our bodies. The human body, therefore, is sacred. So the body of every member of the faithful must be treated this way. A Catholic Funeral Mass cannot be celebrated without the body of the deceased being present. In the relatively recent past, Catholic Church began to allow deceased members of the faithful to be cremated. So a Funeral Mass can be celebrated with a body that has already been cremated.
However, it is important to note that the body or cremated remains of a deceased person must be laid to rest in an appropriate resting place for the deceased-I.e., a grave or a mausoleum. The Catholic Church does not allow preserving/holding on to cremated remains in whole or in part, nor the scattering of cremated remains, nor the division of cremated remains for the sake of placing part of them in jewelry or other objects that are retained.
*It is possible to have a Funeral Liturgy outside of Mass. However, because of the importance and power of the celebration of Mass, because it is the central celebration of the Catholic Faith, and because of the spiritual benefit it gives to the one for whom it is offered, it is extremely important to have a Funeral Mass celebrated and should only be replaced with a Funeral Liturgy Outside of Mass for the most serious of reasons.
Part 3: The Committal Prayers
A priest or deacon will accompany the body of the deceased and the family to the cemetery, where the Rite of Christian Burial will conclude with the Committal Prayers.
*It is important to note that the Catholic Church does not allow a eulogy to be given during the celebration of Catholic Burial Rites. Given that speaking as a way to honor the deceased is important for so many-especially while they are grieving-those who wish to do so are encouraged to do so during the Wake or at the cemetery outside of the Vigil for the Deceased and the Committal Prayers or at the Collation should there be one.
The Time and Place of the Funeral Liturgy
A Funeral Mass may be celebrated on any day of the week except Sundays, Holy Days, and the Easter Triduum.
Planning the Funeral Liturgy
The Funeral Mass is one of the most beautiful and meaningful celebrations of the Church. In consultation with the priest who will be celebrating the Funeral Mass, a family that is planning funeral services for a loved one may discuss different options concerning the Readings from Sacred Scripture, the choice of hymns, and other prayers used at their loved one’s Funeral Mass. However, please note that the Catholic Church has guidelines that must be followed and that the priest celebrating the Funeral Mass may have additional guidelines he asks families planning a Funeral Mass to follow.
When choosing a passage from Sacred Scripture, there is a list of options the Catholic Church provides for the First Reading, another list of options for the Second Reading, and a third list of options for the Gospel. Outside of the seven weeks following Easter, the First Reading is from the Old Testament. During the Easter Season (the seven weeks following Easter), the list of options for the First Reading are all from the New Testament but they are from a different section of the New Testament than the list of options for the Second Reading. Below there is a link to the options the Catholic Church allows for each Reading.
Music at the Funeral Liturgy
St. Eugene Church provides an organist for Funeral Masses and family members are welcome to request specific Sacred Hymns. However, please be aware that only Sacred Music-hymns-may be used at a Funeral Mass. As Sacred Music magnifies the spoken word, it adds is a beautiful dimension to Catholic Funeral Masses. Additionally, Sacred Music brings comfort and peace to the loved ones attending the Funeral Mass which is why families are invited to choose hymns when planning the Funeral Mass of a loved one. Sometimes a particular hymn, perhaps a favorite of the deceased, is desired. If there are any particular hymn requests, please ask the pastor.
Given that the Catholic Church has guidelines regarding what hymns are allowed and are appropriate for Funeral Masses, our pastor or the priest celebrating the Funeral Mass will assist and guide families in making selections of Sacred Hymns for Funeral Masses.
It is not incumbent upon the loved ones of the deceased to choose music for the liturgy. If no particular music is requested, the pastor will choose appropriate Sacred Music.
Additionally, because Mass is Sacred, pre-recorded or secular music is not allowed and will not be used at St. Eugene Church.
*Please also note that the Diocese of Providence made a formal statement several years ago that the song “Danny Boy” is not allowed at Catholic Funeral Masses.
*Please also note that hymns composed by David Haas are no longer permitted. This means that: “You Are Mine” & “Blest Are They” as well as many other popular and formerly used hymns are not allowed and will not be chosen or played for any Funeral Masses celebrated at St. Eugene Church.
Liturgy Planning Form
Click here to download our Liturgy Planning Form
Funeral Mass Readings
Please click on the links below to download suggested readings for Funeral Liturgies:
First Reading Options
First Reading Options During Easter Season Only: https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-and-sacramentals/bereavement-and-funerals/new-testament-readings-during-easter-time
Second Reading Options