It is our belief that death is not an end but rather a beginning.  Our parish community knows that the death of a loved one can be a time of great pain, confusion, sadness and loss. Please be assured that the St. Thomas More Parish Family is here to offer you comfort and support.

Although death brings a deep sense of sadness and loss, faith can provide solace and strength. This time offers an opportunity to encounter God in a new way and to deepen our belief in God’s love for us and for our loved one.  It is time for us to support and console one another, especially in our belief in the promise and gift of eternal life. 

When we, as Christians, encounter death we are drawn to prayer, praying for those who have died and those who loved them. The prayer that supports Catholic Christians at the time of a death is called the funeral rites. 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.  Funeral rites include:

• Prayers at the Vigil (Wake)
• Mass of Christian Burial (The Funeral Mass)
• The Committal or Burial

This resource is meant to provide hope and bring comfort and consolation to those planning a funeral liturgy.