Funeral Services

We would like to offer our prayers to you and your family at the death of your loved one.  A Catholic funeral liturgy provides solace for those who are mourning a loved one. We hope that you find healing through the planning of the service.

Before Contacting the Church

We recommend that everyone contact a mortuary before contacting St. Louise de Marillac. The mortuary is intended to assist families in planning for all parts of a funeral. Between the funeral director and the church, we are able to schedule the funeral without the family as the middleman.

If the family is not working with a mortuary, they may contact the Church directly.

Parts of a Funeral Rite:

There are three parts of a Funeral Rite. Families may choose to have all three parts or just select the ones that are needed.

• Vigil for the Deceased or “Vigil”
  • Taking the form of a Liturgy of the Word, the Vigil consists of scripture readings, a brief homily (or a reflection), intercessions, and prayers. Its focus is on the Word of God as the family experiences death and their subsequent grief. The Vigil is also an appropriate place for family and friends to offer their own words or stories (eulogy).
• The Funeral Liturgy
  • The clear focus in the funeral liturgy is not to keep alive the memory of the deceased but rather God’s abiding presence and the wonders of his grace in the saving death and resurrection of Jesus, in which we participate through our baptism and lives of discipleship.
• Rite of Committal
  • It is celebrated at the site of the internment of the body or the cremated remains. It is also an expression of communion between the Church on earth and the Church in Heaven, allowing the deceased to pass from the community of mourners into the community of those who are already with God.

Additional Celebrations

• Rosary
  • Instead of (or in addition to) a Vigil, many families request a rosary to be prayed either the night before or 30 minutes prior to the service.
• Memorial Mass
  • The Memorial Mass is held in church just like a regular daily weekday Mass, there are no remains present. The opening of Mass is like a usual Mass, with an Opening Song, Greeting, and Penitential Act. Memorial Masses can be held right after the death or several weeks or months later when the family can all gather. It is a private Mass.

St. Louise encourages families to wait until the body is present to celebrate a Funeral Mass.

Church Requirements:

In order to have a Funeral at St. Louise de Marillac, one of the following requirements need to be met:

• The family are registered parishioners,
• The family lives within our bounds, or
• The family has a connection to the parish.

Cost:

• A funeral Mass with a Committal is $450.
• A Vigil or Rosary the night prior to the Mass in the Church, is an additional $300.
• A Committal alone, it is $150.

If the family is providing the stipend, it is due when they meet with the Funeral Intake Coordinator. If there is a financial hardship, please discuss this with the pastor.

Contacting the Church

After meeting with the mortuary, please have your funeral director contact St. Louise de Marillac. A staff member will gather the pertinent information to discuss with the head pastor. Each funeral is considered on a case-by-case basis. Final approval is at the discretion of the pastor.

Links to add:

Beginning Experiences: https://familylife.lacatholics.org/beginning-experience

Ministry to the Widowed: https://familylife.lacatholics.org/widowed