“In the face of death, the Church confidently proclaims that God has created each person for eternal life and that Jesus, the Son of God, by his death and resurrection, has broken the chains of sin and death that bound humanity.”
(Order of Christian Funerals, 1)

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“The celebration of the Christian funeral brings hope and consolation to the living. While proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and witnessing to Christian hope in the resurrection, the funeral rites also recall to all who take part in them
God’s mercy and judgment and meet the human need to turn always
to God in times of crisis.”
(Order of Christian Funerals, 7)

Parish Ministry of Consolation

Through its celebration of the Catholic funeral rites, St. Patrick Parish seeks to bring Christian hope to the family and friends of the deceased. We believe the best way for us to do this is to come together as a parish family to pray for the deceased and the family, and to support the family members at the difficult time of loss. In this way, we hope to be the presence of Christ to one another and for one another.

An important part of this presence of the Church occurs in the parish’s Ministry of Consolation. After the arrangements at the funeral home have been made, the funeral home will contact the rectory to arrange for the Funeral Mass. After that arrangement is made, the family will be contacted by a Companion from the parish’s Ministry of Consolation who will accompany the family through the days of the wake and at the Funeral Mass. The Companion will assist the family in preparing the Funeral Mass, and our Ministry of Consolation will be present at the Funeral Mass to serve in various liturgical roles, to assist in making the celebration of the Mass the dignified and worthy celebration of faith that it should be.