“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack... Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me.”
St. Mark’s parish is ready to offer assistance and support to the family at the difficult time of the death of a loved one. Funerals are scheduled on weekday mornings.
The family first makes arrangements with a local funeral home. The funeral home confirms the date and the time of the funeral mass with St. Mark’s parish.
Our parish community recognizes the right of every Catholic to have a funeral mass. Many families wish to plan the funeral liturgy for their loved one. After the funeral home gives St. Mark’s parish the family contact information, our Ministry of Consolation will make every effort to reach the family. On reaching the family we ask them to visit our parish website - stmarkshoreham.org. Under the menu item Funeral Arrangements, read what information is needed to complete a Mass Intake. During another telephone conversation we will gather information about your loved one and help you with the planning of the funeral mass. We will also attend this Mass.
The donation to St. Mark’s parish is $500. There are separate fees for the music: $175 (organist) and $175 (cantor). Should there be any difficulty with the donation to the parish or the music fees, we do not let that stand in the way of the celebration of your loved one’s funeral mass.
On St. Mark’s website you will find all information needed to help you prepare the funeral mass. The family can choose the First and Second readings that are proclaimed during the Liturgy of the Word. The First Reading is from the Old Testament. The Second Reading is from the New Testament (usually from the letters of St. Paul). You are also asked to include one selection for the Gospel and a Prayer of The Faithful (General Intercession). You can choose a family member or friend who is comfortable proclaiming the Scriptures during the Mass. If this is not able to be done, one of the Consolation Minsters will be happy to do the readings. Only the Presider reads the Gospel. This information is very helpful to the priest presider so that he can personalize the homily. St. Mark Parish permits "Words of Remembrance", focusing on the qualities of the deceased only at the beginning of the mass, from the music podium and no longer than 3 minutes. BUT we strongly encourage that they be offered at the Wake, the cemetery/grave side or during the luncheon. (The Wake or luncheon, allow time for a longer remembrance and the sharing of memories by more people.)
Also included on the website are suggested hymns to be sung during the Funeral Mass. You can download and print the Reading selections. Below are the links for all information.
Should the family want to prepare a "program" for the funeral, please send a draft so that it can be reviewed (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
A total of four hymns maximum can be chosen for Mass. The hymns you may wish to select can be downloaded here:
Can Catholics be Cremated?
Yes, cremation is permitted by the Catholic Church. However, the preferable way to show dignity to the deceased still remains the traditional one, burial in the earth.
Usually, cremation takes place after the Funeral Mass. The coffin is brought into church, placed in front of the altar during the funeral mass. This Mass is the “last time” that a person comes to church.
The cremated body is to be shown reverence and dignity. For that reason, Catholics are not to scatter the cremated body. The urn is be placed in the ground or in a niche (columbarium).
It is hard to let go of a loved one, but the urn with the cremated body is not to be kept in the home.
If you need help or advice, let us know at the Parish Office, 631-744-2800.
