• We are here to assist you in any way. Please know that your family and loved ones are in our prayers, especially at this time.
  
  If you want to schedule a funeral with us please call the parish office at 394-1220 or contact your funeral director of preference who will then schedule the funeral with us.
  
  Planning for the Liturgy:
  In order to make the Funeral Liturgy a meaningful and healing experience for family members and friends as we thank God for the gift of your loved one's life, support one another in our grief, pray for the deceased and celebrate our faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, family members and friends will be asked to play different roles during the liturgy and the family will be asked to select readings, prayers and music. You can find all this outlined in our Funeral Planning Form .
  
  Words of Remembrance:  If you wish to have someone share some memories about your loved one, you may wish to think about doing this at the end of the Calling Hours at the Funeral Home. Sometimes families have gathered together and had everyone share memories of the past, sharing stories and pictures. If you decide to have someone share Words of Remembrance at Church, we ask that this be limited to one person who would speak briefly [about 3 minutes] before the Opening Prayer. 
  
  Readings: 
  Scripture Readings - Please select Readings for the liturgy from the following options: Funeral readings, or you may choose reading directly from the Bible, if there is a specific reading you had in mind. We are here to assist you in those choices. Please also select any family members and/or friends who may wish to proclaim them at the funeral.  
  
  Prayers of the Faithful - Please select Prayers for the liturgy from the following options: H1, H2, H3, H4, H5.  Please also select any family members and/or friends who may wish to read them at the funeral.  
  
  Your Readers: The Old and New Testament Readings and the Prayer of the Faithful will be placed  on the lectern for their convenience. If you would like a copy of the contents of the binder ahead of time for practice, please let us know. Please check to make sure that they have turned to the correct page before reading. 
  
  Music: 
  Please feel free to use our Parish Hymnal, to choose appropriate music/song selections for the funeral liturgy. You can find some music suggestions and the corresponding numbers to find them in the hymnal here:  Suggested Hymns for Funerals 
  
  Musicians: St. Benedict provides you with an organist/pianist and a cantor/song leader. Their stipends are paid to the church through the funeral home (if applicable) and we will take care of payment of these stipends to the musicians. Our Pastoral Musicians will lead us in song through the funeral liturgy. If you wish to have someone sing a special song or solo, please let us know well ahead of time so that they may join our ministers of music. A rehearsal is usually held a short time before the funeral. If you need other arrangements, let us know.  
  
  Burial:
  Consider St. Bridget's and Calvary Cemeteries as a final resting place:  Plots currently are available for both forms of Christian burial (casket burials as well as cremation) in several different areas at both cemeteries.  St.Benedict supports the maintenance and grounds improvements to the Cemeteries through the generous donations of parishioners. To get a sense of our cemeteries, we invite you to take a walking tour.  Take a moment to sit and pray. Spend some quiet time with the Lord and the memory of those who have gone before us. Our Cemeteries are a place to pray and remember all that God has given us. Reflect on where you choose to be buried when your time comes to go home to the Lord. Would you like to rest here among others who have been cornerstones of our parish family? 
   

  “Lord Jesus Christ, by your own three days in the tomb, 
  you hallowed the graves of all who believe in you 
  and so made the gave a sign of hope 
  that promises resurrection even as it claims our mortal bodies.”
  
  If you would like to inquire about available plots and learn more about pricing, please call Tony at 394-1220, ext 24.  
  
  Receptions: 

  Martha's Servers: Parishioners who wish to have a reception following their loved one's funeral or memorial Mass may use one of the Parish Halls (depending on availability) and the service of our Martha's Servers volunteers at no cost.  They provide: coordination and hosting, set up and clean up of: coffee and cold beverages, table linens, baked goods, and simple meals. This ministry can be requested when you schedule the time of the funeral with the funeral director or when you meet with staff to prepare the funeral liturgy. For more information on Martha's Servers or to join this ministry, please contact Amy at the parish office by calling 394-1220, ext 25.