Funeral Procedures & Protocol

The standard procedure for a funeral at Shrine of the True Cross Catholic Church is that a funeral director (funeral home or mortuary) works with Shrine of the True Cross parish staff to set up the details of the visitation, funeral Mass, and interment. Funeral directors are very helpful to the parish in that they arrange for the times of the events.   
 
Eulogies
 
The grieving process necessarily includes time to remember the life of the deceased loved one. In the Catholic funeral rite, this is most appropriately done during the time of visitation or even at the Vigil (Wake) Service. 
  
Since the Funeral Mass is primarily the time for praise and thanks for God's gift of eternal life in Jesus, we discourage the inclusion of a eulogy at the Mass. Therefore, please be sure to plan for eulogies at the Vigil (Wake) Service. 

Cremation  

In 1997 the Vatican granted permission for funeral Masses to be celebrated with the cremated remains of an individual at the discretion of each diocesan bishop. 
 
Though allowing Catholics to choose cremation, the Catholic Church “clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for the funeral rites, since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the Church affirms in those rites” (Order of Christian Burial appendix II).  In addition to fully expressing the Church’s belief in the resurrection of the body, the presence of the body at the funeral allows the friends and family of the deceased to enter into the grieving process in a way that is substantively different than with the cremated remains.  Therefore, those opting to have cremation are strongly encouraged to have the body of the deceased present at the funeral, with cremation and burial to follow in the next couple of days.    

By civil and Church law, cremated remains cannot be spread or buried in any place other than a designated cemetery or columbarium. Therefore, prior to funeral services being held at Shrine of the True Cross Catholic Church, arrangements must be made for the burial of the cremated remains.  For more information on the Church's position regarding the internment of cremains, please see: 
 Instruction To Rise with Christ regarding the burial of the deceased and the conservation of the ashes in the case of cremation, dated 25 October 2016.