We Remember Those Who Have Returned Home to the Lord

When my loved one dies, whom should I call? 
You should contact the funeral home and then have the funeral director contact the Church office to speak with the parish secretary who will put you in touch with Michelle Hilliard, the Pastoral Associate.

Does a Catholic always have to have a Funeral Mass or is a graveside ceremony sufficient?
The Funeral Mass is the appropriate and worthy ceremony for the funeral of a Catholic. Considerations of time, finances or a desire to lessen grieving should not weigh against the Funeral Mass.

May Catholic be cremated?
A Catholic may be cremated  before or after the prayer service or the Mass of Christian Burial. The Church prefers that the cremation take place following the Funeral Mass, but it is not a mandate.  In either case the ashes (cremains) should be buried in a cemetery, placed in a mausoleum, or in a columbarium as soon as possible; the ashes should not be kept in the home indefinitely, or enshrined, or divided among family members in keep-sakes. Because the deceased person was consecrated in Baptism, the appropriate honor should be given their cremains.​

What if we only have a few family members? 
The Funeral Mass may be celebrated in the Church or in Saint Joseph Chapel (for cremains and a very small number of attendees).

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