The Funeral Planning Process
Upon the death of your loved one please contact the funeral home that you will be working with (we request that all funerals be arranged through a funeral home). Prior to the death of your loved one, however, please contact us so that a priest may administer the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick if at all possible. After you contact the funeral director, he/she will in turn contact us to determine available dates/times for the visitation, Funeral Mass/Liturgy, luncheon, etc. After you meet with the funeral home/director to plan things with them regarding their services, please contact us to arrange a meeting with one of our priests to plan the actual Funeral Mass/Liturgy/church specific details.

What is the best time for the Funeral Mass/Liturgy?
Typically, a Funeral Mass/Liturgy will begin at 11:00am, with a visitation at church for 1-2 hours beforehand. If you would prefer a different time/arrangement, however, please ask the funeral director to contact us to see about the church's availability and the availability of our priests. We will do all that we reasonably can to accommodate your needs. Funerals do not take place on Sundays, Holy Days, or during the Sacred Triduum (Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday).

Guest Priests or Deacons
If you/the family of the deceased would like a guest member of the clergy to be present at the Funeral Mass/Liturgy a letter of suitability must be obtained by the cleric and given to the Pastor (unless the cleric is from the Diocese of Madison). The priest who meets with you to plan the funeral should also be asked beforehand. Generally, a Holy Cross Parish priest will preside over all Funeral Masses/Liturgies at the parishes of Holy Cross Parish, but the guest priest/deacon is welcome to concelebrate/assist so long as he is in good standing in his respective diocese. At the discretion of the Holy Cross priests, the guest priest/deacon may be permitted to be the principal celebrant if there are good reasons for such a request, and/or offer the homily, preside over the final commendation, or lead the prayers at the cemetery.

Mass or Funeral Liturgy outside of Mass?
The standard and preferred practice for a deceased Catholic who dies in good standing with the Catholic Church is a full Mass with the body present. As such, a Mass is always the presumed option in these types of situations. If there is a question about whether a Funeral Liturgy outside of Mass might be more appropriate, however, the family should speak with the presiding priest. In a case where the deceased is not really a practicing Catholic, or lived a life publicly contradicting Catholic beliefs and practice, a Liturgy outside of Mass might be more appropriate. Once again, please discuss this with the presiding priest when you meet with him.

Full body (and a casket) or cremains (and an urn)?
While the Church allows for cremation and the celebration of the Funeral Mass/Liturgy in the presence of the cremains (in an urn), the Church's strong preference is that the full body be present (in a casket) for the Funeral Mass/Liturgy, if at all possible (and if the deceased is to be cremated this be done after the Funeral Mass/Liturgy). For more information, please see the link about "Cremation and Funerals (USCCB)" below. If you have any further questions, please contact the presiding priest.

Eulogies
Part of the grieving process includes time to remember the life of your deceased loved one. In the Catholic Funeral Rite, this is most appropriately done during the visitation and/or at the funeral luncheon. Since the Funeral Mass/Liturgy is primarily a time of prayer (please see the video below), the Diocese of Madison has a diocesan-wide policy that restricts eulogies to the time of visitation and/or the funeral luncheon (although they are not by any means required!). If you or another person would like to offer a eulogy during the visitation or luncheon please let the presiding priest know when you meet with him.

Funeral Luncheons
St. Bernard, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Martin of Tours  are able to host/provide space and help for a funeral luncheon. If you are interested in having one, please let the funeral home/director know.

Music
Because the Funeral Mass/Liturgy is primarily about praying to God for the deceased, all music that is played in church ("God's house") must be of a sacred nature and appropriate for divine worship. Please see the document "Catholic Funeral Song Options" below for more information.