We are very sorry.

Call at any hour, day or night. If the person is still living, a priest will come to anoint them and pray with the family; do not wait until the last moment.

If the death has already happened, call anyway. A priest will come to pray with you and to commend the person who has died to God.

The office helps the family arrange the funeral. It is open Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, and outside those hours the priest's number above reaches someone.

You will be asked for the name of the person who has died, the date and place of death, where the family lives, and whether the burial will follow the funeral Mass.

• The death certificate, or the certificate issued by the hospital
• The baptism certificate of the person who has died, if the family has it
• [Any permission the cemetery requires]

If a document is missing, tell the office. Nothing here should delay the funeral, and the parish can trace its own records.

The office and a priest settle the day and the hour with the family, around the other Masses of the parish.

The family may choose the readings and the hymns, and may read at the Mass themselves. If you would rather leave all of it to the priest, that is quite usual too.

[The parish will tell you what is usual here for flowers, for the coffin at the church, and for the offering.]

[The parish will tell you which cemetery serves this parish, and how a grave is arranged there.]

The Church permits cremation, provided it is not chosen to deny the resurrection of the body. Ashes are buried or laid in a sacred place; they are not divided, kept at home or scattered.

A priest goes with the family to the graveside for the final prayers.