Anyone Have the Words to the Catholic Burial Service?

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Humm, this didn't seem to take first try.

My sister died about two years ago and was cremated. Her husband (who was more like a brother to us than in-law) died on the 8th of this month. He was also cremated. It was their wishes that their ashes be scattered on my farm since they planned to retire here had not Joanne suffered a massive stroke.

Anyway, Joanne was Catholic and Lloyd Baptist. I have arranged for a Baptist minister to attend to say words for Lloyd. However, the area Catholic priest said he would do a service if the urn was being interred, but not if they are scattered. Since he won't, I will, but I need the words to the ...ashes to ashes, dust to dust... service.

Does anyone have them?

Ken Scharabok

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), January 25, 2002

Answers

Boy, I wish I would have kept my Catholic Missal. I do have my father's somewhere upstairs. Hopefully, someone else will be able to help you as I have no idea where to look. God bless!

-- Ardie /WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002.

I will look it up for you tomorrow morning...AND is there another priest around? I have been Catholic for half a century..the church has zero problem with scattering ashes and the "graveside" service..perhaps this priest misunderstood your request...a funeral mass in the church is only conducted in church, with a body present...we have masses said for the dead when they are not present, but an actual funeral mass is always as above...if he understood your request, sounds as if he is just being a stinker..I'd find another one.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), January 25, 2002.

Hi Ken, here ya go...www.kencollins.com/question-27.htm

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), January 25, 2002.

Also, while I was looking this up, I ran across a site for the Church Doctrine on deaths and funerals. It seems the priest you spoke to is going by the doctrine of the Church. The ashes have to be brought to the church for the blessing. They don't officiate at scattering of the ashes, officially that is. I was raised Catholic and my Dad was buried with the traditional ceremony, but my mom has said she wants to be cremated. I'm glad you asked this question, I've learned something.

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), January 25, 2002.

Since someone has already provided you with the service, I will not look it up, but I have attended numerous Catholic services where the persons' ashes were scattered immediately thereafter..meaning the priest came out to the place and prayed and then the ashes were scattered..this was after a funeral mass was said at church, with the priest then accompanying the family to the site where the ashes were to be scattered..never in my life have I heard that the ashes need to be interred or the priest will not participate..go figure.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), January 26, 2002.


Lesley, perhaps the scattering of ashes was done on "Holy Ground?" the Catholic cemetary or churchyard or consecrated land belonging to a Catholic family.

In Ken's case, he is not Catholic so his land does not qualify as holy ground so the priest cannot conduct a Catholic funeral there.

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), January 26, 2002.


Thank you Annie! Exactly what I was looking for.

The ashes will be scattered off of a bluff overlooking a field and stream. It was Joanne's favorite place on the farm.

I will check into having the ashes blessed before scattering, although she was given last rites and a funeral mass. I just believe she would have also wanted something also done at the time of scattering.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), January 26, 2002.


laura, the scattering of ashes at five of the funerals I attended were at sea, three more were in the woods of a private park and one was in a public forest over a lovely stream. Cremation, for eons opposed by the Catholic Church was approved in the last century based upon the biblical statement that all the dead will rise..theologians finally "got" it that it didn't matter..many of the churches martyrs had been burned at the stake, etc. so they came to the conclusion that God, being God, can resurrect the body any way He chooses to, from any form.

-- LESLEY (MARTCHAS@BELLSOUTH.NET), January 26, 2002.

Glad you were able to get them, Ken! It really depends upon the priest, some are very liberal (to the point that they will marry seniors who do not wish to live in sin yet if they were married by the laws of the state they would lose some of their benefits--don't know how that would work as far as inheritance laws go, if not an actual recorded marriage), some are not.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 29, 2002.

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