St. Mary's R C Cemetery

Following request from some people to have the funeral Mass of their deceased relatives in places other than the church, our diocesan chancery office has directed that; If there is a Mass, the Liturgy is to take place in a Church. This is similar to the rule for weddings.

This is in line with the instructions from the Order of Christian Funerals (OCF), No. 128 which states: The funeral liturgy is the central liturgical celebration of the Christian community for the deceased. Two forms of the funeral liturgy are presented here: “Funeral Mass” and “Funeral Liturgy outside Mass.” If there is to be no funeral Mass, there is leeway as to where to celebrate. No. 179 (OCF) states that the funeral liturgy outside Mass is ordinarily celebrated in the parish church, but may be celebrated in the home of the deceased, a funeral home, parlor, chapel of rest, or cemetery chapel.

While funerals for non-Catholics have recently taken place in public space (i.e. non-religious buildings), this is not the case for Catholic Funerals. Therefore, the Church (and diocesan) policy prohibits the Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated outside of a Church, e.g., in a funeral home.