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 Funeral Planning at
St. Paul of the Cross

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Our parish priests, lay ministers, and parish extend our deepest sympathy and prayers to you and your family during your time of mourning. We join you in remembering the life of your deceased loved one by offering a beautiful and prayerful liturgy as we entrust their soul to God and the angels and saints. 

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Planning the Funeral Mass

As part of your funeral planning experience at St. Paul of the Cross, you will be assigned a bereavement minister. Our trained volunteers will pray with you, listen, comfort, and guide you with your planning.

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When you meet with your bereavement minister to discuss personal details about your family member, they will assist you in completing the planning form with your  musical selections, readings, and intercessory prayers.

 

One of our parish music directors (organist/pianist) and parish cantors will be assigned to provide the music for the funeral. 

 

  

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Music in the Order of Christian Funerals

The purpose of this page is to provide readings and short musical excerpts of the selections used at appropriate parts of the Funeral Mass.

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"As St. Augustine says, 'Singing is for one who loves.' Music is therefore a sign of God's love for us and for our love for Him." 1

Music within the liturgy can express the pain of loss, yet focuses on consolation and "the spirit of hope in Christ's victory over death and in the Christian's share in that victory."2

The purpose of music within the Mass is to give praise to the Lord, whose Paschal Sacrifice has freed us from the bonds of death.3 

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As such, non-sacred (i.e. secular) music selections that were important to your deceased loved one are more suitably included at the funeral home (before or after the wake service) or included as part of your memorial luncheon. Music is a very important part of our memories and connection with our deceased loved ones.  In this way, the sacredness of the celebration within the Mass is maintained, and the celebration of their life is extended beyond the funeral proper.

Order of Worship

The following order of worship will assist families in preparing a worship aid (i.e. program) if desired.

1 St. Augustine, Sermo 336, 1. (PL 1844-1855, 38, 1472)

2 Order of Christian Funerals (NY; Catholic Book Publishing Co, 1989), no. 30. 

3 Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship, # 248, USCCB, 2007.

All recordings feature our St. Paul of the Cross musicians and were recorded fully-masked during Covid February/March 2021. 

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