Funerals

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Richard Ballwebber, November 1, 2024

All of the Catholic Church’s teachings on dying, death, funerals, and burials can be summed up by Her belief in the dignity of the human person, as expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

CCC 2300 The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in faith and hope of the Resurrection. The burial of the dead is a corporal work of mercy (Tob 1:16-18); it honors the children of God, who are temples of the Holy Spirit.

Prior to death, the relatives of the soon-to-be-deceased have an obligation to assist as much as possible in the transition from earthly life to eternal life.

CCC 2299 The dying should be given attention and care to help them live their last moments in dignity and peace. They will be helped by the prayer of their relatives, who must see to it that the sick receive at the proper time the sacraments that prepare them to meet the living God.

For all of us, as death is a fact of life, pre-planning a funeral is a great gift to those left behind. Through discussions with a trained pastoral counselor or other church worker, all of the details, such as readings for the Mass and committal information, can be decided upon ahead of time, leaving freedom for the bereaved to grieve their loss and not be consumed by the details.

To a believing Catholic, the funeral is one more celebration of our journey towards God. Full of scripture and prayers commending the soul to the Lord, it is a liturgy of hope in the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting, as we proclaim each week in the Creed.

If there has been a death in your family, please get in touch with Fr. Ralph, Pastor, at (503) 845-2337 or the Parish Office (503) 845-2296 to make funeral service arrangements if you plan to have a funeral at St. Mary Catholic Church in Mt Angel. The attached forms will help make arrangements and provide the parish with the necessary information.

Funeral Planning Information Sheet

Hoja de información sobre planificación funeraria en español

St Mary's Order of Funeral Mass

Suggested Readings for the Funeral Mass

Calvary Cemetery

The following suggested stipends/fees are based on services St Mary’s staff rendered. [In financial hardship, stipends may be waived or adjusted.]

• Church $300.00
• Pianist/Cantor $200.00
• [Additional instrumentalists] $200.00
• Additional Cantor $100.00
• Parish/Abbey Priest/presider: None (included in Church Stipend)
• Parish Deacon: None 
• Visiting Priest or Deacon: $80:00
• Mass Servers are $25.00 (each)

While no stipend/fee is expected, families often choose to make a gift as a sign of their appreciation for the pastoral services rendered by the presiding priest and assisting deacon.

 Stipend Checks are usually made out separately to each recipient and given directly to the person who serves in that area on the day of the service rendered.
 If working with Ungers Funeral Services, they usually handle all this on your behalf.

• Set up Fee: $25:00
• 1 page back and front with full-color photo on the front, folded,  90 cents per copy
• additional pages, stapled and folded, plus 90 cents per additional page