Funerals

The church office should be contacted as soon as possible, before making arrangements with the funeral home. When the date and time of the services have been confirmed, the family should make an appointment with the church priest, who will guide them through the Rite of Christian Burial.  The family may select the readings, and inform the pastor of their choices one day before the funeral.

The family may provide two readers, gift bearers, cross bearer, and a member(s) to place the pall and crucifix on the coffin. When the wake service is held in the church, only one person may offer Words of Remembrance, not a eulogy, concluding five minutes before Mass time.

Should the wake be held in church a hostess will serve coffee and soft drinks. (Only if the service is two hours or longer)

For parishioners of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, upon request, the Pastoral Committee will provide food for the family after the funeral. (Limited to four dishes each of salads, vegetables, meat-based, and desserts.)

If the funeral Mass is celebrated at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, the family may reserve the Knights of Columbus Hall if it is available.  The church office will provide the family with information on the procedures involved in reserving the hall.

The parish Director of Music Ministry should be contacted as soon as the date and time for the funeral mass has been set.  The director will make arrangements for an organist/cantor to serve at the mass, and will assist in the selection of hymns to be sung during the mass. Should the family request bringing their own organist/cantor, or other musicians and singers, the director needs to be contacted for approval.

No secular music is permitted during a funeral mass. If such a song is requested, it may be performed at the conclusion of the wake service, if it is held in the church.  If the wake service is held at the funeral home, then no secular music will be permitted before the mass.

All hymns sung during the mass should be taken from a Catholic/Christian hymnal.  Any songs of a Christian/Rock/Gospel nature will be limited to a Prelude or a Closing Song, with the approval of the director. There is to be no background music during the spoken prayers or the Presider's dialogue during the mass.

Organist $150
Soloist $150
Stipend for the priest is at the family's discretion.

NOTE: The above are excerpts from the document Particular Law on Confirmation found on the Archdiocese website nolacatholic.org