Funeral liturgy procedures

[centurionguard]

I don’t get it. What was going on on Christmas Eve morning to prevent the priest from going to the grave site?

Other Parish families had their beloved in immediate danger of death in the hospital.

I didn’t see any problem in it nor did my family. These things happen. I don’t think it would have been very considerate for my family to put up a big commotion about it.

Humility and Compassion go along way in these circumstances.
Had my Catholic family not of had great Faith and been overwhelmed by complete utter devastation perhaps the priest also a cherished friend of our family would have come along for the Committal. Sure the Hospital has an on duty Chaplain but, circumstances were other people of our parish requested our priest given the urgent circumstances of their need.
No harm done. All was carried out in sincere charity.

 

[PatriceA]

I don’t think this is a norm. Perhaps there were unseen circumstance where the priest was unable to go to the grave site and make the Rite of Committal.

Having worked as a former sacristan just short of a decade I’ve witnessed hundreds of Funerals. Normally the parish priest accompanies the family of the deceased to the grave after the Requiem Mass or until after the optional reception. It depends upon the family wishes and often too the season of the year usually in the middle of (Winter) there are no committals until after spring thaw.

In my father’s Requiem Mass held on the morning of Christmas Eve which was technically still in the season of Advent, the parish priest understandable was unable to come to the grave-site. He gave us a prayer book and Holy Water and our Family offered prayers and sprinkled the casket with holy water as we made our final respects as the casket was lowered in the grave.

As I said previously; this is not a norm that a priest doesn’t accompany the family after the Funeral and make the Rite of Committal. Plainly unseen circumstances.

The omission of the Rite of Committal by a priest doesn’t invalidate the Requiem Mass or the last Sacrament Extreme Unction.

I didn’t think the OP meant that the priest didn’t go to the cemetary with the family. I took the OP to mean the prayer service wasn’t at the actual cemetary plot, but in the Chapel instead. I think the OP meant everything else was the norm, including the priest being present for the service.

 

[Kennywood]

Hi Kielbasi,

Love the name- I’m from around those parts, too

I have been to a Catholic funeral in the Greensburg Diocese, and to a few in the Pittsburgh diocese. I had the same experience in Greensburg as you. I kind of took it as puzzleannie suggests: that it is simply the way that cemetery handles it.

In Pittsburgh, we go to the graveside. It’s old school and it doesn’t feel the same without it, does it?

Still, the most important part- the Mass- remains the same, and that really is the biggest consolation in the moment, isn’t it?

 

[centurionguard]

I didn’t think the OP meant that the priest didn’t go to the cemetery with the family. I took the OP to mean the prayer service wasn’t at the actual cemetery plot, but in the Chapel instead. I think the OP meant everything else was the norm, including the priest being present for the service.

You’ll have to accept my apologies but I’m finding the OP a little confusing.

Just to clarify by prayer service are you talking about a Funeral Wake to be more exact?

Others here spoke about the Rite to Committal.

Its a little confusing at best because there both entirely different other than different prayers said at both.

And a Funeral Wake is more family orientated and by no means requires a Priest to be in attendance. Its totally at the discretion of the Priest if he attends a Funeral Wake.

 

[PatriceA]

You’ll have to accept my apologies but I’m finding the OP a little confusing.

Just to clarify by prayer service are you talking about a Funeral Wake to be more exact?

Others here spoke about the Rite to Committal.

Its a little confusing at best because there both entirely different other than different prayers said at both.

If you want to be technical about it all, I’ve been referring to the Rite to Committal in all my posts. Like I said, when my husband’s grandfather died last year, and was a member of a parish in the Greensburg Diocese, the family was given the option to have the Rite of Committal take place in the Chapel of the cemetary rather than at the actual grave site. Due to the fraility of some family members, the family chose the Chapel. I presumed that was the only difference the OP was finding strange. The location alone, not that there wasn’t a priest present.

 

[centurionguard]

If you want to be technical about it all, I’ve been referring to the Rite to Committal in all my posts. Like I said, when my husband’s grandfather died last year, and was a member of a parish in the Greensburg Diocese, the family was given the option to have the Rite of Committal take place in the Chapel of the cemetery rather than at the actual grave site. Due to the frailty of some family members, the family chose the Chapel. I presumed that was the only difference the OP was finding strange. The location alone, not that there wasn’t a priest present.

Due to the frailty of some family members, the family chose the Chapel. I presumed that was the only difference the OP was finding strange. The location alone, not that there wasn’t a priest present.

I don’t see anything strange in it. Priests are flexible to family wishes of the deceased.

With my father’s Funeral circumstances were completely different as I stated in my post.
There was no Rite to Committal. It didn’t change the Sacramental aspect and blessing conferred upon my father.

 

[Corki]

=========================================================
IT IS LIKE ANY OTHER FUNERAL, NOTHING HAS CHANGED AND HAVING BEEN CREAMATED CAN BE A LOT CHEAPER IN LIE OF BUYING A $5,000 CASKET.
tHEY SIMPLY DIDN’T BRING THE ASHES TO THE GRAVE BECAUSE USUALLY THE FAMILY TAKES THE ASHES HOME

JESUS I TRUST IN YOU

JR

Since he mentioned the diocese, I am assuming this was a Catholic service. The ashes are not supposed to be taken to someone’s home but burried or placed in a mausoleum.

 

[PatriceA]

I don’t see anything strange in it. Priests are flexible to family wishes of the deceased.

With my father’s Funeral circumstances were completely different as I stated in my post.
There was no Rite to Committal. It didn’t change the Sacramental aspect and blessing conferred upon my father.

Weren’t you the one a few posts ago that said the OP’s situation didn’t sound “like the norm”? Your post made it seem like you found the OP’s situation out of the ordinary and were questioning the situation.