Have the wake in Church instead of funeral home

[PatienceAndLove]

My wake better be in my house with lots of laughing and drinking (I’m German and Scottish, you know )

 

[airforcemom]

We held wakes in St. Bernard Catholic Church - it is cheaper on the families and the cemetery is right across the street. A wake in the church is usually held in the morning and then the burial – no wakes held in the church the night before - the body cannot be left alone. The old custom of the family staying with the body all night has just about vanished and most funeral homes close at mid-night. Following Katrina things were such a mess that many times the wake and funeral Mass was held on one day but the body was buried for a few days – things are getting better in that area. Have not been to a wake/funeral in AR so I’m not sure what they do here.

 

[chicago]

The old custom of the family staying with the body all night has just about vanished and most funeral homes close at mid-night.

Midnight? Wow. We’re lucky to be up till around 9 here.

 

[lak611]

The only time I have seen a wake in a church was for a bishop.

I was just at a wake in a church. My former pastor died. His wake was at the first parish he served at after being ordained. The wake was held this past Sunday. The funeral Mass (which I was unable to attend) was held on Monday.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Here in the midwest it depends on which is bigger, the church or the funeral home. That said, in the City, in my experience, it has been more likely to be a short visitation that afternoon, followed by a Liturgy of the Word right there in the funeral home, then a trip to the cemetery and the Rite of Committal. Any after-activity is a catered luncheon- if there is one. Farther out, there’s still a rosary and visitation the night before, either at the funeral home or the church; then there’s a Mass, then Rite of Committal, followed by a luncheon by the parish funeral luncheon committee.

You can tell how beloved the dearly departed and his or her family were by the donations to the funeral luncheon.

 

[Mary1973]

I never was at a wake in a church except for a priest.

So, if you are “waked” in a church, it is only for a short period of time? Here in NJ, we usually do at least one day at the funeral parlor, have a service the morning of the funeral in the funeral parlor and then go to Church for the Mass.

Has anyone been to a wake in an apartment?

 

[acadian]

I am also in Louisiana. Our wakes tend to be in a funeral home - though when one of the elderly Carmelite sisters (who came to live in our abandoned convent after Katrina) died, her wake was held at church. Most funerals (in this city) also tend to be at the chapel at the funeral home, it seems. Perhaps it is less expensive to only transport the body from the funeral home to the cemetary without a stop at the church?

 

[VincentO]

Here in Scotland it’s quite common for Catholic families to keep the dead in their home until either the day of, or the evening before the funeral. People will come and pay their respects during that time and prayers said, esp the rosary - and food and drink are aplenty too.

At my local parish, practice is to receive the remains into the church the evening before the funeral with a small prayer service. Family can remain if they wish.