Funerals During Holy Week

Liturgy and Sacraments
#1

My Dad passed away yesterday but while I knew it was coming, I never anticipated even the possibility of it being during Holy Week until his last hours yesterday. I have a call in to my traditional priest but wondered in advance - if anyone has knowledge or previous experience with this.

How does a Catholic handle the plans for a funeral during Holy Week? I certainly can’t have a wake on Holy Thursday or Good Friday (in my mind, it just isn’t done). So, Holy Saturday? And then either have service there and/or funeral interment / Mass on Easter Monday? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks and God bless - and please pray for my Dad’s newly-departed soul - as well as Mom’s - just passed six months ago…(talk about God having a plan?)

#2

May your father’s memory be eternal.

As far as your questions, shouldn’t you consult with the priest about the funeral arrangements?

#3

I am not sure about Holy Thursday in the morning but there can be no Masses during the Triduum other than those scheduled. There can be a wake service at a funeral home, and even a funeral service without a Mass in Church, but scheduled around other events, we don’t schedule anything Good Friday but I don’t know if that is a hard and fast rule. It does seem however that we always have a several funerals this week for those who cannot wait until Monday. Perhaps this holy time of year prepares those who are dying for their homecoming and God graciously takes them at the same time He recalls the death of His own Son, in solidarity with the grieving. Our prayers for your father and you and your family. call the Parish this morning, offices may be closed beginning tomorrow.

#4

We have two funerals tomorrow, Holy THursday. Since we cannot have a mass, we are celebrating funeral services without communion. You can have a funeral service on Good Friday but cannot have any music at it. Not sure about Holy Saturday, I think you also can have one without music but I would think around here most cemetaries are closed Holy Saturday so we would not have a funeral service anyway.

#5

:gopray2: for your father’s soul and for your family.

The funeral Mass is permitted on Easter Monday but not during the Triduum.

The rite of funerals does allow that for pastoral reasons during the Triduum the funeral rites in the church aside from the Mass may be carried out.

#6

Last year, on Holy Saturday, we had a practice at church with our pastor for the altar servers who were serving for the Easter vigil. He was just a little stressed - way out of character for him- and told me that he had 2 funerals that afternoon. Both were held at the funeral home. I’m not sure if it was a Mass or some other type of service.

My sympathies on the loss of your parents.

#7

My sympathies to you and your family. I have a very good friend who lost his mother to sudden cancer this morning (she was only sick for three weeks, diagnosed two weeks ago-fine until that), so I can appreciate how difficult this time must be.

About your question, the Funeral Mass will have to wait until at least Monday. A more likely idea is to have the viewing on Monday, the funeral on Tuesday.

There can be a funeral at the funeral home without the Mass before that, though.

#8

Thanks for the many suggestions. I had been informed of the possibility of maybe nothing before Monday (even a wake) - but I wanted to avoid the solemnity of Good Friday or celebration of Easter. Either of those days, to me, just weren’t appropriate for a wake. I would have avoided Holy Thursday, as well.

But I’ve been able to arrange a wake for Saturday. It seems that Holy Saturday’s only difficulty is getting a priest that evening, which came as no surprise to me - I’m assuming due to the many Easter vigils. A funeral Mass - planned for Monday - may, to my surprise, be said by a family member who I haven’t seen since before he took his priestly vows. Should be interesting.

I appreciate the many suggestions and learning how various parishes are dealing with conducting Holy Week funeral services. To be sure, this experience comes as an unexpected education for me. I thank you and ask for your continued prayers & support as I struggle - not so much with the losses which is part of life - but dealing with the earthly, medical demands that accompanied each of my parents’ passing. It is that, which will be the emotional and spiritual mountain I have yet to climb.
God grant you all a blessed Holy Week and Easter.

#9

it is just not something you think about until the dilemma arises. sympathy for you and your family, and I know it will always have an effect on how you see Holy Week in the future. We lost 2 family members one just before, one just after Easter, and it truly does seem each year as we remember them and reflect on the circumstances to renew faith in the Resurrection and our own hope of heaven, and hope it becomes for you a sign of hope, too.

#10