Funeral Music

The Funeral Mass is the most important ritual among the ceremonies traditionally observed to honor the deceased. This is a great opportunity to worship God, give thanks, and to commend the decedent into His care.

At St. George’s, Funeral Masses are normally scheduled Monday to Friday at 11:00am. The central building blocks of this Mass are readings (from the Lectionary) and prayers (from the Missal and the Rite of Christian Funerals) that express the Catholic faith about death and resurrection, and about the “last things.” It is also important to express feelings of mourning and sadness, without undue sentimentalism, but instead fostering hope in redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life.

In addition to the Biblical readings and the liturgical prayers, funerals also have their own kind of sacred music: Catholic hymns or songs which are sung, chanted or recited during the ceremony to intercede for the deceased, to express hope, offer consolation, and remind the mourners about the resurrection of Jesus Christ so that the pain of death is ultimately uplifting.

These hymns, along with helpful guidelines for the celebration, are contained in a freshly revised funeral booklet (see following link). Alternative music cannot normally be included in funerals at St. George’s, not only because the time to prepare is generally short, but mostly because we want to foster a renewal of our funeral culture for which adequate music is essential.