Funerals

The death of a loved one is a difficult time for family and friends. The Staff and Parish family of Queen of All Saints join in expressing our deepest sympathy to you at the loss of your loved one. We hope you will find comfort in our prayers and concerns.

The ceremonies of Christian burial normally include:

• a Prayer Service at the wake
• the Mass of Resurrection (Funeral Mass) at the church
• the Liturgy of Final Farewell and Committal at the cemetery.

We welcome your thoughts and suggestions as we plan the ceremonies of Christian burial. As you consider the things that are meaningful to you, please keep in mind that proper liturgical norms must be observed. The parish staff stands ready to assist you in these decisions. They will help you in the planning of these ceremonies.

We hope your preparation of and participation in the funeral liturgy will be of comfort to you and your family in this time when God’s love must see us through. Please know that our prayers and support are with you. If there is anything we can do for you, please do not hesitate to call.

The Funeral Mass
The funeral Mass is a time of hope and taking comfort in the fact that your loved one's journey in this world is complete and they are now with the Lord of Life. Our staff can help you make choices as you prepare for the funeral Mass for your loved one.

All choices and details for the Mass must be discussed with and approved by a parish priest or a member of the parish staff before arrangements are finalized.

• Placing the Pall - The pall, a white cloth which is a reminder of one's baptism, is placed on the casket when you enter the church. Family members or pall bearers may place the pall, or the funeral director will do this for you.
• Readings - Please choose readings from the Readings tab, from the Through Death to Life (TDTL) booklet or our priest will assist you.
• The Homily - In preparation for the Mass, the priest will talk with you about your loved one so that he can personalize his remarks.
• Prayers of the Faithful/Intercessions - Family members of friends may read the intercessions. These too can be found in the TDTL.
• Gifts - Your family may present the gifts of bread and wine at the Mass.
• Eulogy - Following the prayer after Communion, a member or friend of the family may speak briefly in remembrance about the deceased. This is an occasion to cite the ways in which the departed has inspired, shared life and lived the faith. Please use the following guidelines when preparing the eulogy:

1. There may be only one speaker
2. The eulogy may not be longer than three (3) minutes
3. The eulogy must be written out
4. A copy of the reflection is to be given to the priest beforehand.

There are two readings, a responsorial psalm, the Gospel and Prayers of the Faithful that the family/friends of the deceased may choose. The staff at Queen of All Saints is there to guide you through this process and even offer apporpriate suggestions for your loved ones funeral.

• Choosing the readings - the readings are chosen from the old testament (first reading) and new testament (second reading). Along with your choice of readings, please select which family members or friends will do the readings. 
• Responsorial Psalm - is sung and our Director of Music can offer suggestions and help you choose the psalm that will be led and sung by our cantor.
• Gospel - you are welcome to select the Gospel reading or ask the priest to do so. The Gospel will be read by the priest.
• Prayers of the Faithful/Intercessions - are a way to honor those who've passed, to remember the church and those who were unable to join you at this funeral Mass.

For all of these, the staff can guide you in your choices for planning the Mass. The list of readings here are available for you to browse through.

Note: Given here are sample Prayers of the Faithful you may wish to use as they are or to use as a template to compose your own. The priest will introduce and conclude the prayers of intercession. The People’s Response to each intercession is: We pray to the Lord.

Listed below are the suggested categories of intercessions. Click the button for the sample prayers.

• Prayers for the Deceased (pick two)
• Prayers for the Family, Friends and Care Givers of the Deceased (pick two)
• Prayers for deceased members of our family and of the parish community (if there are family members you wish to name specifically today, please feel free to do so) (pick one)
• Prayer of General Intercession
• Prayers for a Child

Many questions arise when planning music for the funeral liturgy. After you make initial arrangements with the funeral home and the parish office, Ken Sotak, our Director of Music will contact you to talk about the resources available to you and answer questions you may have.

Musicians for the Funeral Mass
An organist and cantor from the parish staff are automatically assigned for the funeral Mass. Should you wish to use additional musicians, our music director will make the necessary arrangements for you. 

Participation by Family Members
Often a family member or friend offers to sing a vocal solo or play an instrumental selection within the Mass.  Every effort is made to accommodate this kind gesture. 

Choosing Music
The texts of vocal pieces used in the funeral liturgy should reflect the thoughts and feelings of those attending in their spirituality and faith. Texts should be sacred in nature, either directly or indirectly based on scripture. Secular songs, while highly expressive, but not in a religous sense, are best reserved for use at the funeral chapel. This would also be true for instrumental pieces based on these songs.

Music Selections
The following link offers a range of music selections that you may find useful in the planning process, both for identifying familiar pieces for which you may not know the titles, or in finding something new that would be most fitting for this special liturgy.

This list is not all-inclusive, but can be a source of inspiration when looking for the ideal piece. 

Music Selections for a Funeral