In the face of death, the Church confidently proclaims that God
has created each person for eternal life and that Jesus, the Son of God, by his death and resurrection has broken the chains of sin and death that bound humanity. Christ “achieved his task of redeeming humanity and giving perfect glory to God, principally by the paschal mystery of his blessed passion, resurrection from the dead and glorious ascension.
– Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
St. Catherine Labouré Parish is honored to assist families as they prepare a meaningful funeral Mass for their loved ones. Funerals at St. Catherine are celebrated so that the family of the deceased has the opportunity to feel the consoling presence of God in their lives. We celebrate that life for the deceased has changed, not ended.
The resources given below are designed to assist the bereaved in planning the funeral Mass. The Funeral Information Sheet will guide you through this planning, which contains sections for gathering information on the deceased, and for determining the readings, music, and persons involved in the funeral itself.
Click here to fill out the Online Funeral Information Sheet
Readings for Christian Funerals
List of suggested music for funerals
A few things to note while you begin this planning process:
Visitation: Visitation before the funeral may take place at the funeral home itself, or in the oratory of the church, which can also be set up for a private viewing.
Liturgy of the Word: The Scripture readings assigned for Catholic funerals may be found at the USCCB website, by clicking here.
Music: Above there is a link to the suggested music for funerals at our parish. Keep in mind that the list is not exhaustive, and we welcome other sacred songs or hymns.
Family Participation: Family members are invited to take part in the funeral Mass in several ways: someone may read one (or both) of the readings, they may read the intercessions, and they may bring up the gifts. Occasionally, a family member may also be interested in singing. The parish also has people available for these ministries.
Words of Remembrance: Sometimes known as a eulogy, this takes place during Mass after communion. The parish asks that these remarks be prepared ahead of time, be kept reverent, and be read by only one person.
Photo Display: Families are welcome to display photos in the oratory or narthex of the church. They may also provide a flash drive for photos and/or videos to be displayed on screens in the narthex.
Luncheons in Leo Hall:Leo Hall (located beneath the parish office at 4000 Derry St.) may be used following the funeral/burial, subject to availability. Leo Hall seats 80 people and is handicap accessible. Parishioners may use Leo Hall free of charge. Families which are not parishioners of St. Catherine Labouré Parish may use Leo Hall for a rental fee of $100, which permits four (4) hours of hall usage. In either case the family will be responsible for contracting a caterer.
We suggest the following caterers:
Two Gals: (717) 939-2858 | www.twogalscatering.net
Macri’s Catering: (717) 350-6146 | www.macriscatering.com
Families may also have a funeral luncheon off-site at a place of their own choosing. In this case, the family is responsible for making all arrangements.
Mass Programs: The parish will provide printed programs which contain the readings, responses, and song texts to assist those attending the Mass. The family is encouraged to select a meaningful image to place on the front of the program. We also ask that you take an estimate of how many people will attend the Mass, so that we know about how many programs to print.
Families are encouraged to have a meeting with the priest who will celebrate the Mass, along with the parish Funeral Coordinator, and Director of Music, to discuss the details of the funeral process. Please contact the office at (717) 564-1321 to schedule this meeting.
We look forward to meeting and working with you during this time. Please know that if there is anything you need from the parish staff or clergy, do not hesitate to reach out at any time.