Funerals

Families caught in the midst of grieving find it incredibly difficult to wade their way through all the emotional, spiritual and legal obligations associated with the final farewell of their loved one.

To assist, below is a step by step guideline of the decisions you will need to make immediately after a loved one departs this life, or in some instances when contemplating our own funeral so that our wishes are known and followed.

Arranging a Funeral at St Patrick's Parish

Decide on the type of service you, or your loved one, would want:

• Requiem Mass: This is a funeral liturgy which offers the consecration and distribution of the Eucharist, and can only be offered at the church.

• Prayer Service: This is a funeral liturgy only, and may be held at the church or at the Funeral Directors’ chapel.

• Graveside Service: This is the most simple of the ceremonies where the priest and mourners gather beside the grave of the loved one offering prayers before interment. 

Decide on Cremation or Burial:

• Cremation:  Should you decide on cremation, this would take place either after the Requiem at the church at the appointed chapel, or following a prayer service directly the funeral directors’ chapel.

• Burial: There are a number of local cemeteries, Palmdale Lawn Cemetery, Point Clare Cemetery & Wamberal Cemetery, and the interment would either take place after the Requiem at the church, a Prayer Service at a chapel, or, as mentioned above, the service may take place actually at the graveside. 

*It may be noted that it is becoming very popular to finish the service at the church or chapel and cremation or interment take place privately, without mourners present.

Decide on your Funeral Director:

There are many companies operating on the Central Coast who will provide this service for you from the point of death until the journey to the final resting place. It may be a good idea to give a few a call to compare prices and the services they offer.

The funeral director will then contact the Parish Office to check on the availability of the church and/or the clergy and book your nominated Requiem or prayer service, according to your suitability and its own.

It has become the practice of some funeral companies to contact the Parish Office with a set time and date, according to its own availability, which is not negotiable thereby narrowing the opportunity for you to have the service you would like if the parish or priest were unable to accommodate those specifics. Please speak with your director to ensure that every effort is made to align availability so that you may obtain the end result you desire.

Arranging the Service with our Clergy:

• The Service: At the point of booking with the Parish Office a priest will be nominated, and often in response to a specific request by the family (if possible), to be the celebrant at the service and Father will then be in contact with the family to arrange a meeting to discuss the service outline, and the involvement the family would like to have in the service.

• The Music at the Service: The music chosen for the ceremony is often is a mix of religious and secular music designed to convey the sentiment of the family about their loved one. 

If the service is a Requiem Mass then religious music is expected during the liturgy but a secular piece may be included after the Eulogy and at the recessional.

The pieces required would be:

1. Entrance.
2. Responsorial Psalm (if not a ‘said’ Responsorial Psalm)
3. Offertory (if there is to be an Offertory Procession)
4. Communion
5. Recessional

If it is a Prayer Service, particularly in a chapel, secular music is common, and the pieces required are: 

1. Entrance
2. Responsorial Psalm (if not a ‘said’ Responsorial Psalm)
3. Reflection
4. Recessional

• The Readings & Prayers of the Faithful: Families who want to be involved in this final farewell have the opportunity of involvement through the readings (with the exception of the Gospel) and the Prayers of the Faithful. When the family meets Father, they are provided with a book ‘Life is Changed Not Ended’ which provides a comprehensive range from which to make your selections, thereby tailoring the service to express your love for your family member.  
• The Service Booklet: Booklets are a useful tool at a funeral service as they not only guide the mourners through the service, but provide the responses which are required during the liturgy.  Booklets may be prepared by the families, the funeral companies, or at the Parish Office at a below market rate.

St Patrick's Parish Memorial Wall

This parish has a columbarium, known as our Memorial Wall, located on the northern face of the church, in which the ashes, or a memorial of, a loved one may be placed. If you would like to enquire about availability and costs, please contact the Parish Office on (02) 4325 1042.