The death of a loved one can be a difficult time. As we mourn, we turn to the Lord for comfort and the hope of eternal life in Heaven. We want to help you know that the Lord is with you and your family during your grieving.
When your loved one dies, the funeral director is the one who will help you schedule the calling hours, funeral Mass, and burial. Once you begin this with the funeral director, we will meet with your family to select funeral readings and music and to discuss your loved ones life.
In thinking of your own funeral, just as it is possible to pre-plan your funeral arrangements with a funeral home, you can also pre-select the readings and music for your own funeral. Please contact the parish office (315-331-6753).
For readings, you will need to select one Old Testament reading, one New Testament reading, and one Gospel reading:
A family member or friend is welcome to read the Old and New Testament readings. It can be the same person or two different people.
For music, we ask you to select four hymns from the lists below, one from each section. The first list is for St. Michael Church in Newark, the second is for St. Joseph the Worker in Lyons, Clyde, Savannah and Blessed Trinity in Wolcott, Red Creek and Fair Haven.
The next item to think about in planning is who will bring up the gifts of bread and wine. Generally, two people are chosen to do this, but if you tell us ahead of time, it can be three or four. When there is a funeral with a casket, the gifts will be on a table in front of the first pew. Those bringing up the gifts will come to the table, pick up the gifts, and walk a few steps to the priest to hand him the gifts. When there are cremains, the gifts will be on a table in the aisle. Those bringing up the gifts will go to the table, and walk forward to the priest and hand him the gifts.
You might also consider someone offering some “Words of Remembrance.” This should be one person (this one person can include thoughts of others) and not to exceed 5-6 minutes and must be typewritten. These words at church are meant to reflect the deceased life of faith. These words should speak of how they lived their faith, inspired us and deepened our faith through his or her life on earth. the words of remembrance will take place at the beginning of the funeral celebration.
Here is a link for the funeral information form FuneralplanningformIt includes information we need for the funeral. If you will be meeting with us before the funeral, you do not have to have the funeral planning sheet completed but it can help if you complete what you are sure of.
St. Michael’s is happy to offer you a lunch following the funeral mass and burial (providing our hall is available). A team from our parish will prepare a lunch reception for your family and guests, which will be served in the Church Hall. We will need an approximate number of guests that you may expect and we will take care of the rest. If you are interested in having a reception in the church hall, please ask when you first talk to us.
Please follow the link to access a brochure on the teaching of the Catholic Church on Cremation
https://www.nyscatholic.org/wp-content/uploads/2002/12/updated-cremation-brochure-conference.pdf