I Want to Understand Catholic Funeral Rites

Our Hope in Christ

When someone we love dies, we naturally experience grief, loss, and many unanswered questions. As Catholics, however, we grieve with hope.

The Church's funeral rites proclaim our faith in the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and our belief that death is not the end of life. Through prayer, the celebration of the Eucharist, and the Rite of Committal, we commend our loved one to God's mercy while asking the Lord to strengthen those who mourn.

The Catholic Church accompanies families through a series of sacred funeral rites known as the Order of Christian Funerals. These rites are first and foremost acts of worship, giving thanks to God for the gift of a person's life while entrusting the deceased to His mercy and proclaiming our hope in the Resurrection. Together, they surround grieving families with the prayer and support of the Church.

The Three Parts of a Catholic Funeral

The Order of Christian Funerals consists of three principal moments. Together, they accompany the faithful from death through burial while surrounding the family with the prayer and support of the Church.

Vigil (Wake or Visitation)

Funeral Mass

Rite of Committal

The Vigil

The Vigil (sometimes called a wake or visitation) is often the first time family, friends, and members of the parish community gather after the death of a loved one. It is a time for prayer, Scripture, remembrance, and mutual support as together we begin the journey of Christian mourning.

Typically, the Vigil includes:

  • Introductory prayers

  • Readings from Sacred Scripture

  • Intercessions

  • Concluding prayers and blessing

The Rosary or other devotional prayers may also be prayed before or after the Vigil or, in some circumstances, incorporated into it. The Church also strongly recommends praying the Office of the Dead from the Liturgy of the Hours.

The Funeral Mass

The Funeral Mass is the principal celebration of the Christian funeral.

Gathered around the altar, we celebrate Christ's victory over death through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. We entrust the deceased to God's mercy, pray for the forgiveness of sins, and find strength in the Eucharist and the promise of eternal life. The Funeral Mass is not simply a celebration of someone's life, but an act of worship that gives glory to God and expresses our faith in the Resurrection.

The Funeral Mass ordinarily includes:

  • The Rite of Reception

  • The Liturgy of the Word

  • The Liturgy of the Eucharist

  • The Final Commendation and Farewell

The Final Commendation is the Church's last farewell before the procession to the place of burial or entombment, entrusting the deceased to God's loving mercy.

Family members and friends may participate in the Funeral Mass as lectors, musicians, altar servers, or other liturgical ministers if they are properly prepared and emotionally able to do so. Family members may also present the bread and wine during the Preparation of the Gifts.

Funeral Liturgy Outside of Mass

In certain circumstances, the Church may celebrate a Funeral Liturgy outside of Mass rather than a Funeral Mass.

This may be appropriate when the body is not present, when cremation has already taken place, when burial will occur elsewhere, or because of other pastoral circumstances. A Funeral Liturgy outside of Mass may be led by a priest, deacon, or properly prepared lay minister. Your parish can help determine the most appropriate celebration for your family's situation.

The Rite of Committal

The Rite of Committal is the final of the Church's funeral rites and is normally celebrated at the place of burial or entombment.

Although intentionally brief, it is a profound moment in which the Church commends the deceased to God's mercy while expressing hope in the Resurrection. Family and friends gather for one final farewell as the body or cremated remains are committed to their resting place.

When circumstances require, the Rite of Committal may be celebrated at a later time or expanded if it is serving as the family's primary funeral rite.

Catholic Funeral Frequently Asked Questions

  • Your parish is responsible for the liturgical and spiritual aspects of the funeral. The priest or parish staff will help schedule the Funeral Mass, select Scripture readings and music, and guide your family through the Church's funeral rites.

  • Not always. The Funeral Mass is the Church's preferred celebration because the Eucharist is the heart of Catholic life. In certain circumstances, however, a Funeral Liturgy outside of Mass may be more appropriate. Your parish can help determine the best option.

  • A public visitation is not required, but the Church strongly encourages the Vigil, which is the first of the three principal funeral rites. It offers family and friends an opportunity to gather for prayer and support.

  • Funeral Masses may be celebrated on most days of the year. However, they are generally not celebrated on Holy Thursday, during the Paschal Triduum, on certain solemnities, or on the Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter. Your parish will help determine the appropriate day based on parish and pastor availability.

  • Yes. Family members and friends may serve as lectors, musicians, altar servers, or other liturgical ministers if they are properly prepared and emotionally able to do so. Family members may also present the bread and wine during the Preparation of the Gifts.

  • The readings are selected from those provided by the Church for funeral liturgies. Your parish will help your family choose readings that reflect the hope of the Resurrection and God's promise of eternal life.

  • Yes. Families are encouraged to work with their parish when selecting music. Because the Funeral Mass is an act of worship, the music should be sacred and liturgical. Popular or secular music, including recorded music, is not used during the funeral rites.

  • The Church distinguishes between the homily and words of remembrance. The homily is reserved for proclaiming God's Word and the hope of the Resurrection. In the Diocese of Toledo, if words of remembrance are shared, it is preferred that they be given before the Funeral Mass begins, last no longer than three minutes, and be reviewed with the pastor beforehand.

  • Yes. The Rosary and other devotional prayers are encouraged before or after the Vigil or before the Funeral Mass. While they are an important expression of Catholic devotion, they do not replace the Church's funeral rites.

Catholic Teaching on Cremation

The Catholic Church permits cremation, provided it is not chosen as a rejection of Christian teaching concerning the Resurrection of the body.

While cremation is allowed, the Church continues to express a preference for burial or entombment of the body because it more fully reflects Christ's own burial and expresses our reverence for the human body, which has been marked by the sacraments and is destined for resurrection.

The Church's Preferred Order

Whenever possible, the Church encourages the following order:

  1. Vigil

  2. Funeral Mass

  3. Cremation

  4. Rite of Committal

This allows the body to be present during the funeral rites before cremation takes place. If circumstances require cremation beforehand, the Funeral Mass may still be celebrated with the cremated remains present.

Caring for Cremated Remains

The Church teaches that cremated remains must always be treated with the same dignity and respect as the body.

Cremated remains should be:

  • Buried or entombed in a cemetery or mausoleum

  • Placed in consecrated ground whenever possible

  • Permanently interred in one sacred location

The Church does not permit:

  • Scattering ashes

  • Dividing ashes among family members

  • Keeping ashes permanently in the home

  • Preserving ashes in jewelry or other keepsakes

These practices reflect the Church's reverence for the human body and our belief in the Resurrection.

Cremation Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes. The Catholic Church permits cremation, provided it is not chosen as a rejection of Christian teaching on the Resurrection of the body.

  • While cremation is permitted, the Church continues to express a preference for burial or entombment of the body because it more fully reflects Christ's own burial and our belief in the Resurrection.

  • Whenever possible, the Church encourages cremation to take place after the Funeral Mass so that the body may be present during the Vigil and Funeral Liturgy. If circumstances require cremation beforehand, the Funeral Mass may still be celebrated with the cremated remains present.

  • Yes. Although the Church prefers that the body be present for the funeral rites, the Funeral Mass may be celebrated with the cremated remains present when cremation has already taken place.

  • The Church teaches that cremated remains should be buried or entombed in a cemetery or mausoleum, preferably in consecrated ground, using the Rite of Committal.

  • No. The Church teaches that cremated remains should not be scattered in the air, on land, at sea, or in any other place. Instead, they should be reverently buried or entombed.

  • The Church teaches that cremated remains should be permanently interred in a sacred place rather than kept in a private residence.

  • No. Cremated remains should remain together and be buried or entombed in one sacred place. They should not be divided among family members or preserved in jewelry or keepsakes.

  • The Church teaches that the human body is sacred. Even after cremation, the remains deserve the same dignity and reverence shown to the body because they belong to a person created in the image and likeness of God and destined for resurrection.

  • It is never too late to provide a loved one with a reverent Christian burial. The Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Toledo can help families arrange for the permanent interment of cremated remains in consecrated ground through burial, entombment, or the All Souls Remembrance Program, which offers free interment for qualifying cremated remains.

Learn More About Catholic Funeral Practices

For those who wish to explore the Church's teachings in greater depth, the following resources provide additional guidance:

For readers interested in the Church's official doctrinal instruction regarding cremation and the care of cremated remains, the Vatican's instruction Ad resurgendum cum Christo is also available.