We at Immaculate Conception know that the death of a loved one can be a time of great pain, confusion, sadness, and loss. Please be assured that our family of faith is here to offer you comfort through prayers and pastoral support. Please call the parish office at (903) 874-4473 to arrange a meeting with Fr. Juan Carlos or the parish staff. They will provide assistance and support as you make final arrangements for your loved one.

A Guide for the Diocese of Dallas
The Catholic Funeral Liturgy is divided into three distinct parts, each with its purpose. Therefore, we recommend following the complete structure and using each liturgical “moment” offered to a family.

Part I The Vigil Service (Wake)
Generally, a Service of the Word, with sacred scripture readings, accompanied by prayer, reflection, time for recalling the deceased's life, and possibly a rosary.

Part II Funeral Liturgy (Mass, or Outside of Mass)
The central celebration of the family, friends, and the Christian community is the Funeral Mass. However, when Mass cannot be celebrated, a Funeral liturgy Outside of Mass can take place.

Part III Rite of Committal (Burial or Interment)
Ideally, a baptized person is buried in a Catholic cemetery, parish cemetery, or columbarium. A Catholic may be buried in a non-Catholic cemetery when the ground is blessed for burial.

About the Vigil Service, Funeral Mass & Burial
When a deceased person is identified as Catholic, funeral home directors should contact the parish office or pastor at the earliest possible convenience to determine the availability of the church, an appropriate minister (priest for Mass, priest, deacon, or others for Vigil Service) and the necessary parish staff, particularly the music director. The date, time, and minister must be confirmed before a commitment to the family is made. The Funeral Vigil assists a family in beginning the mourning process by gathering for a Service of the Word with features of prayer, remembrance, and storytelling. A Vigil Service may be held in a funeral home or a church or a chapel.

The Funeral Mass must be held in a church or approved chapel (such as a chapel in a Catholic cemetery). Typically, the parish church is the site for a Funeral Mass. The Funeral Mass is the central liturgical celebration for the deceased, and this Eucharistic celebration must be carried out in a sacred place. Planning a Catholic Funeral Mass with a family is a gift of pastoral care. The parish should use all of its resources to welcome and support a family in this difficult time. Regardless of the number of mourners expected, the Funeral Vigil, Funeral Mass, and Committal services should be offered. This raises awareness that mourners can express their sorrow, begin the initial adjustment to loss, and possibly experience gradual reconciliation.

Circumstances may allow for a Funeral Liturgy Outside of Mass when a Catholic dies, especially if there are no other Catholic friends or relatives of the deceased. Recall, though, that the parish family may be the primary support for the deceased. In that case, a parish Funeral Mass is warranted.

Burial of cremated remains or the body of the deceased should be in a sacred place, but the Church does not mandate a Catholic cemetery although this is the preference. The body or the cremated remains may be interred in a grave, or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium. Scattering cremated remains (ashes) on the sea, in the air, or on the ground is not permitted for a Catholic. Keeping cremated remains “at home, or in the home of a relative or friend is not the reverent disposition that the Church requires” (OCF, n. 416). (The diocesan Office of Worship or the pastor can explain how to properly bury remains at sea, in an urn, coffin, or other containers.)

Diocesan Policy for Funerals
In the Diocese of Dallas, the Funeral Mass must be celebrated in a properly designated parish church, parish chapel, or another sacred Catholic chapel or oratory. No permission is granted for the Funeral Mass to be celebrated in a funeral home or chapel. A mausoleum chapel at a Catholic cemetery is considered a viable alternative to a parish church. The funerals of Catholics are governed by regulations contained within the Order of Christian Funerals (OCF) and Canon Law. Any request to celebrate a Funeral Mass in a place other than a designated Catholic sacred place must be made to the Office of the Bishop, before a Funeral Mass may take place. A Funeral Vigil service, however, may be celebrated in a funeral home chapel or another appropriate place for prayer and reflection.

What the Church Says About Cremated Remains & Cremation
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) requested from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments an indult (special dispensation) to allow the presence of cremated remains of a body at a Funeral Mass. The USCCB received approval for this Indult on Cremation on 21 March 1997. The Vatican’s position is that human remains, “even cremated, be accorded proper respect as befits the dignity of the human person and of baptized Christians.”

The rites for the burial of the cremated remains of a body may be found in the Appendix to the Order of Christian Funerals. This Appendix recommends that when cremation is chosen, the body be cremated after the funeral, thus allowing for the presence of the body at the Funeral Mass. When pastoral circumstances require it, however, cremation and committal may take place even before the funeral liturgy. This liturgy constitutes, nevertheless, a Funeral Mass rather than a “memorial” Mass. 

Planning a Catholic Funeral
Planning a Funeral Mass with a family is a gift of pastoral care and a moment of evangelization for the family and the mourners who will attend. The parish staff should use all of its resources to welcome and support a family in a difficult time.

Regardless of the number of mourners anticipated, the Vigil and related Rites should be offered to assist a family in expressing their sorrow and to begin the initial adjustment to the fact of death. This raises awareness that mourners may also need to experience a gradual reconciliation process.

The Funeral Liturgy can be either within or outside of a Mass. The Church encourages the faithful to celebrate Mass when one of its members dies, but the ritual book for Christian funerals provides several pastoral choices to adapt to local circumstances.

It is advisable that the parish community be informed of the death, perhaps through an announcement at the Sunday Mass, and be invited to attend and pray with the family at the funeral. It is also recommended that the music planner, cantor, lectors, Communion ministers, and hospitality ministers are provided by the parish, fully aware of their opportunity to provide seamless ministry and comfort for the deceased's family. This care and concern can also foster evangelization.