The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces. Isaiah 25:8
The celebration of the Christian funeral brings hope and consolation to the living. While proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and witnessing to Christian hope in the resurrection, the funeral rites also recall to all who take part in them God's mercy and judgment and meet the human need to turn always to God in times of crisis.
If you have recently lost a loved one and need to plan a funeral, please call the Parish Office, 303-233-6236. The Funeral Ministry will meet with you to arrange a date, schedule a priest, and plan the Liturgy. Although many mortuaries contact the parish and cemetery as plans are being made, it is imperative for the family to establish contact with the Parish Office.
To pre-plan a Funeral Liturgy with the help of our clergy, please call the Parish Office, 303-233-6236. By pre-planning, your family is relieved of making these decisions in their time of grief. Planning ahead simplifies the process of selecting scripture readings, music and logistics of the Liturgy. When these decisions are made in advance, the burden placed on family members is lifted at an emotionally sensitive time, and the timeframe between initial contact and the funeral can be greatly reduced.
The date, time and place for the Vigil, Liturgy and burial must be coordinated with the family, parish and mortuary so scheduling conflicts will be avoided. Because of the busy weekend Mass schedule and extensive use of the Halls on weekends, funerals are not held on Saturday or Sunday at Our Lady of Fatima. With all the coordination that is necessary, it can take as much as four or five business days from initial contact for a funeral to take place.
A priest from Our Lady of Fatima will normally be the celebrant at the Funeral Liturgy. However, there may be situations where a personal family friend or family member who is a priest will be the preferred celebrant. This is an acceptable practice at Our Lady of Fatima.
Once a date and time for the Funeral Liturgy has been scheduled, a meeting will be setup with the Priest and family members to refine the details of the Liturgy and implement wishes. Parish staff will arrange for musicians, Altar Servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and any others who need to be involved in the services.
The Mass, the memorial of Christ's death and resurrection, is the principal celebration of the Christian funeral. However, a funeral liturgy outside Mass is an optional rite which may be used for various reasons: