Funerals
St. John's & St. Mary's Church helps with funerals and planning
Planning a Funeral
Funeral planning typically takes place during a meeting between the priest and/or deacon who will be presiding over the funeral rites and family members of the deceased.
If a funeral home is involved, they will assist the family in arranging this meeting. If a funeral home is not involved, the family should contact our parish office by calling
(309) 496-2414 to schedule a meeting to make the necessary arrangements.
People and families are welcome to download the Funeral Planning Sheet to begin the planning process prior to meeting with the priest who will preside over the funeral rites. No funeral planning is finalized until after a meeting with the presider of the funeral.
Related Link from the USCCB:
"The Church through its funeral rites commends the dead to God’s merciful love and pleads for the forgiveness of their sins. At the funeral rites, especially at the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice, the Christian community affirms and expresses the union of the Church on earth with the Church in heaven in the one great communion of saints. Though separated from the living, the dead are still at one with the community of believers on earth and benefit from their prayers and intercession. At the rite of final commendation and farewell, the community acknowledges the reality of separation and commends the deceased to God. In this way it recognizes the spiritual bond that still exists between the living and the dead and proclaims its belief that all the faithful will be raised up and reunited in the new heavens and a new earth, where death will be no more."
~Order of Christian Funerals, 6
Pray for those on the Prayer Chain. Or send a prayer request for someone. We welcome all to pray for those on the chain; that they may be healed and that they may find peace.
Documents
Funeral Planning Sheet.pdfPrayers for the Dead - Festival Letter 2008.pdfCemetery policies pamphlet as of 05 02 2018.pdffinal death letter-cdop.pdfSuggested Funeral Readings
See below for a list of recommended Scriptures appropriate for use at Catholic Funeral Liturgies. Typically, one reading is chosen from each the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Gospels.
Old Testament
2 Maccabees 12:43-46 "...he made atonement for the dead..."
Job 19: 1, 23-27 "...I know that my vindicator lives...."
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 "...A time to be born, a time to die..."
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 "...A time to be born, a time to die..."
Wisdom 3:1-9 "...The souls of the just are in the hand of God..."
Wisdom 3:1-6,9 "...The souls of the just are in the hand of God..."
Wisdom 4:7-14 "The Righteous One, though he die early, shall be at rest..."
Sirach 2:1-11 "...in fire gold is tested....Compassionate is the Lord..."
Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9 "...he will destroy death forever..."
Isaiah 26:7-19 "...your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise..."
Isaiah 35:1-10 "...Here is your God, he comes with vindication..."
Isaiah 40:1-11 "...Here is your God, Here comes with power..."
Lamentations 3:17-26 "...My portion is the Lord, says my soul..."
Ezekiel 37:12-14 "O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise..."
Daniel 12:1-3 "...the wise shall shine brightly..."
Micah 7:7-9 "...though I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light..."
Psalm responses
Psalm 23:1-3, 4, 5, 6 R/. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. or: R/. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Psalm 25:6 and 7b, 17-18, 20-21 R/. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul. or: R/. No one who waits for you, O Lord, will ever be put to shame.
Psalm 27:1, 4, 7 and 8b and 9a, 13-14 R/. The Lord is my light and my salvation. or: R/. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Psalm 42:2, 3, 5cdef; 43:3, 4, 5 R/. My soul is thirsting for the living God: when shall I see him face to face?
Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 R/. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Psalm 103:8 and 10, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18 R/. The Lord is kind and merciful. or: R/. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Psalm 116:5, 6, 10-11, 15-16ac R/. I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living. or: R/. Alleluia.
Psalm 122:1-2, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 R/. I rejoiced when I heard them say: let us go to the house of the Lord. or: R/. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Psalm 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6ab, 6c-7, 8 R/. Out of the depths, I cry to you, Lord. or: R/. I hope in the Lord, I trust in his word.
Psalm 143:1-2, 5-6, 7ab and 8ab, 10 R/. O Lord, hear my prayer.
New Testament
Acts of the Apostles 10:34-43 "Everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins"
Acts of the Apostles 10:34-36,42-43 "Everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins"
Romans 5:1,5-11 "...We were reconciled to God through the death of his Son..."
Romans 5:17-21 "...through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all..."
Romans 6:3-9 "...if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall live with him..."
Romans 6:3-4,8-9 "...if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall live with him..."
Romans 8:1-11 "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ..."
Romans 8:14-23 "Those who are led by the Spirit of God are Children of God"
Romans 8:31-35,37-39 "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Romans 14:7-9,10-12 "This is why Christ died and came to life"
1 Corinthians 2:6-10 "Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard..."
1 Corinthians 15:12-20 "If there is no resurrection of the dead..."
1 Corinthians 15:20-28 "In Adam all die, so too if Christ shall all be brought to life."
New Testament
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 "Death where is your victory?"
2 Corinthians 4:14-5:1 "The one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us..."
2 Corinthians 5:1,6-10 "We would rather leave the body and go home..."
Philippians 3:7-14 "...I run toward the prize to which God calls me..."
Philippians 3:20-21 "He will change our lowly body..."
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 "If we believe that Jesus died and rose..."
2 Timothy 2:8-13 "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead..."
2 Timothy 4:1-2,6-8 "I have competed well, I have finished the race..."
1 John 3:1-2 "Beloved, we are God's children now..."
1 John 3:14-16 "We know that we have passed from death to life..."
Revelation 14:13 "...Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord..."
Revelation 20:11-12:1 "...The sea gave up its dead; then Death and Hades..."
Revelation 21:1-5a,6b-7 "...I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem..."
Gospel
Matthew 5:1-12a "The Eight Beatitudes"
Matthew 11:25-30 "come to me . . . and I will give you rest."
Matthew 25:1-13 "Look. The bridegroom comes. Go out to meet him"
Matthew 25:31-46 "Come, you whom my Father has blessed"
Mark 15:33-39 "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Mark 15:33 ---16:6 "Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last"
Luke 7:11-17 "Young man, I say to you, arise."
Luke 12:35-40 "Be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,..."
Luke 23:33-43 "Today you will be with me in paradise."
Luke 23:44 ---24:6a "Father, I put my life in your hands."
Luke 23:44-49 "Father into your hands I commend my spirit"
Luke 24:13-35 "Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer..."
Gospel
Luke 24:13-16,28-35 "Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer..."
John 5:24-29 "Whoever hears my word and believes has passed from..."
John 6:37-40 "All who believe in the Son will have eternal life..."
John 6:51-58 "All who eat this bread will live for ever...."
John 11:17-27 "I am the resurrection and the life."
John 11:21-27 "I am the resurrection and the life."
John 11:32-45 "Lazarus, come out."
John 12:23-28 "If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies..."
John 12:23-26 "If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies..."
John 14:1-6 "There are many rooms in my Father's house."
John 17:24-26 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me..."
John 19:17-30 "Jesus bowed his head and gave up his spirits."
*Other Scripture passages can be presented to the presiding priest for approval.
**Non-Scripture readings cannot be read in place of these readings, but they can be used in worship aides or through some other means.
Here are other alternate suggestions for appropriate readings:
Old Testament
Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
Song of Songs 8:6-7
Isaiah 35:1-6, 10
Isaiah 41:8-10, 13
Isaiah 57:15-19
Isaiah 61.1-3
Isaiah 65:17-21
Ezekiel 34:11-16
Micah 6:6-8
Zephaniah 3:16
New Testament
Acts 10:34-43
Romans 5:5-11
Romans 5:17-21
Romans 6:3-9
Romans 8:14-23
Romans 8:3lb-35, 37-39
Romans 14:7-9, l0b-12
I Corinthians 15:20-23, 24b-28
I Corinthians 15:51-57
2 Corinthians 4:14 -5:1
2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-10
New Testament
Ephesians 3:14-21
Philippians 3:20-21
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
2 Timothy 2:8-13
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17- 18
1 Peter 1:3-9
1 John 3:1-2
1 John 3:14-16
Revelation 14:13
Revelation 20:11 - 21:1
Revelation 21:1-5a, 6b-7
New Testament
Revelation 22:1-7 Gospel
Matthew 6:19-23
Luke 1:67-74
John 3:13-17
John 10:11-18
John 10:27-30
Funeral Music Selections
General
"Music is integral to the funeral rites. It allows the community to express convictions and feelings that words alone may fail to convey. It has power to console and uplift the mourners and to strengthen the unity of the assembly in faith and love. The texts of songs chosen for a particular celebration should express the paschal mystery of the Lord’s suffering, death, and triumph over death and should be related to the readings from Scripture."
(Order of Christian Funerals, no. 30).
Since music can evoke strong feelings, the music for the celebration rites should be chosen with great care. The music at funerals should support, console, and uplift the participants and should help to create in them a spirit of hope in Christ’s victory over death and in the Christian’s share in the victory.
Music should be provided for the vigil and the funeral liturgy and, whenever possible, for the funeral processions and the rite of committal. The specific notes that precede each of these rites suggest places in the rites where music is appropriate. Many musical settings used by the parish community during the liturgical year may be suitable for use at funerals. Efforts should be made to develop and expand the parish’s repertoire for use at funerals. An organist or other instrumentalist, a cantor, and whenever possible, even a choir should assist the assembly’s full participation in singing the songs, responses, and acclamations of these rites" (Order of Christian Funerals: General Introduction, No. 30-34).