Parish of Blessed Pope John XXII
Funeral Guidelines
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Of all the mysteries in God’s creation, the most difficult to accept is death. Your brothers and sisters who comprise the Roman Catholic Christian community of the Church of the Assumption wish to offer you our sincere and heartfelt condolences in this time of sorrow and pain. We pray that your loved one may even now be resting in the arms of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, whose own passion, death and resurrection has gained for us the promise of everlasting life beyond earthly death.
As the Book of Wisdom foretold, it is only in the eyes of the foolish that our beloved deceased are dead; that their passing away is considered an affliction, “their going forth from us utter destruction.” (Wisdom 3:2-3). As St. Paul reminds us, “God will bring forth with Him from the dead those also who have fallen asleep believing in Him.” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).
Because we are a people of faith in the promises of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we celebrate with the ancient rituals of the Church the passing of our beloved deceased from this life into the full presence of God. These rituals have taken shape through the expressions of faith that have grown over the two millennia of Christian witness.
It is our hope that these guidelines will assist you in planning the elements of the rituals to be employed in the funeral services for your loved one. Please read through these guidelines carefully. Members of our parish Comfort Ministry as well as the parish staff are available to assist you if you have any questions, concerns or special needs.