WE PRAY FOR YOU
On behalf of Fr. Kevin, our parish staff, and the entire Corpus Christi Parish family, we extend our sincere condolences to all who have lost a loved one. We pray that you may grieve with hope. May the Lord Jesus give you His peace and comfort during this difficult time in your life. Please let us know how we can help you.
The Funeral Mass is especially significant for Catholics. In this liturgy of thanksgiving, we commend our deceased brother or sister to God and pray with great hope that through the celebration of the Eucharist, they will enjoy eternal life in heaven. We know that planning a funeral for a loved one can be an overwhelming task, therefore, we wanted to make this process as easy as possible. We hope that the information will help to walk you through the entire process, assist you in planning the liturgy, and hopefully answer your questions.
A FEW POINTS TO HELP GUIDE YOU
Funeral planning usually takes place during a meeting between a Corpus Christi staff member and family members of the deceased. If a funeral home is involved, they will assist the family in notifying the parish. If a funeral home is not involved, the family should contact the parish office at (973) 635-0070 to schedule a meeting to make the necessary arrangements.
In planning the Funeral Liturgy, the family is invited to:
GUEST PRIEST/DEACON
Guest clergy are always welcome to concelebrate (or assist in the case of a deacon) if he is in good standing. At the discretion of the parish priest, the guest priest/deacon may be permitted to preside at the Mass, give the homily, final commendation, and lead the service at the cemetery.
FUNERAL MUSIC
Music is integral to the funeral liturgy. It allows the community to express convictions and feelings that words alone may fail to convey. It has the power to console and uplift the mourners and to strengthen the unity of the assembly in faith and love. The texts of the songs chosen for a particular celebration should express the paschal mystery of the Lord's suffering, death, and triumph over death and should be related to the readings from Scripture (Order of Funerals, 30). Music at the Funeral Mass should be sacred in nature and appropriate to the liturgy. A selection of the hymns can be found here: Funeral Music