Catholic funeral preparation
Planning a Catholic Funeral
A practical guide for families preparing Catholic funeral arrangements.
Step 1
Start with the parish
Step 2
Contact the funeral home
Step 3
Decide burial or cremation with Catholic guidance
Step 4
Plan the Vigil
Step 5
Plan the Funeral Mass or liturgy
Step 6
Choose readings with parish help
Step 7
Choose appropriate music
Step 8
Plan the Rite of Committal
Step 9
Arrange burial, mausoleum, or columbarium placement
Step 10
Request Masses for the deceased
After the funeral
Request Masses for the Deceased
A meaningful next step after the funeral is to continue requesting Masses for the deceased, especially near anniversaries, months of remembrance, and family milestones.
Catholic Funeral Planning Checklist
Local-only planning tool
Catholic Funeral Planning Notes
Use this to gather practical notes before meeting with the parish and funeral home. These notes stay only in this browser if you choose to save them.
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