Funerals and Memorials

Planning a funeral is never easy.  Grief over the loss of your loved one, coupled with the uncertainty of how to organise a liturgy in a relatively short time, can present an almost insuperable set of obstacles.  The priests, deacons, and ministerial staff at Our Lady of the Lake are here to help you through this difficult time. We want to strengthen your faith in the promises of Jesus: "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day" (John 6:40).

Planning the Funeral Liturgy

All funerals in the Catholic Church are conducted according to the Order of Christian Funerals. This is because a Catholic funeral is an event that involves the whole Church community. While the funeral does take place according to this Order, we invite the family and loved ones of the deceased to be involved in making certain decisions  about  the  funeral  liturgy. The following information and guidelines are to help you complete the Funeral Planning Guide so that you can be prepared if you come to meet with the Pastor, Parish Secretary, or Director of Music & Liturgy about the funeral liturgy. You may also download a Funeral Guide for printing here.

Readings

The Order of Christian Funerals normally includes a reading from the Old Testament, and from the New Testament, in addition to a Psalm and Gospel reading. The Gospel reading will be chosen by the priest presiding at the liturgy. 

Music

The Director of Music & Liturgy is your contact for all music and is the only person you should speak to regarding liturgical music. If he is unavailable, a professional substitute will be procured for you. A cantor will be also engaged. There are instances in the liturgy where you have the option to choose music and we invite you to make your selection of hymns provided in this Liturgy Guide. Secular songs are not appropriate for the Mass and we encourage you to save these selections for gatherings outside of the church. A soloist will be engaged (by the Director of Music ONLY) to sing any hymns and solos chosen and will be a trained and vetted professional. The fee for the music is $350 which covers the organist and soloist.

Family Participation

If you so desire, you are welcome to select family and friends to participate in some of the ministries by reading during the Liturgy of the Word, and presenting the gifts for the Eucharistic Sacrifice. There is also the option of a time for Words of Remembrance. This is not a eulogy, but a brief commentary on their Christian life.

The priests, deacons and ministerial staff at Our Lady of the Lake want you to know that we grieve with you, and that we share your hope in the power of God who raised Jesus from the dead, and who promises eternal life to those who believe in him.

MASS PLANNING FORM