Q. Can Catholic funerals be celebrated on Sundays?
A. The short answer is yes. Catholic funerals are allowed on Sundays, but in practice are usually not scheduled because of a parish’s ordinary Sunday schedule. Masses for the dead are not allowed on Solemnities that are holy days of obligation, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, Sundays of Advent, Lent and Easter.
Sometimes families’ and priests’ schedules are so full that Sunday is a day that works for a funeral, but Sunday funerals are quite rare.
Funerals are very important and moving times in an individual’s and a family’s life. The utmost care, understanding and attention needed to accompany a family through death should be pursued. Death is a very moving and transformational time.
As a pastor, I find that it helps families if an individual or a couple pre-plans their funerals. Pre-planning answers many questions in advance and takes the stress from families who may not have been expecting the death of a loved one.
Also, just a couple of reminders regarding funerals. The purpose of a funeral Mass is to pray for the soul of the deceased, to comfort mourners and to pray for God’s ongoing comfort, and to praise and worship God, who is victorious over death, and our hope for eternal life, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
A funeral homily, while including elements from a person’s life, should be focused primarily on the Christian beliefs in life after death, the resurrection of the body at the second judgement and the need to pray for the dead.
Eulogies are not considered a part of the Catholic liturgical tradition for funeral rites. The policy in the Diocese of Lincoln states that if a eulogy is requested, the most appropriate place for a funeral eulogy is at the vigil, rosary, or a reception before the funeral Mass. However, the policy says, for a compelling reason, with the permission of the pastor and the celebrant, it is permitted that one eulogy may be delivered by a family member or friend after the Prayer after Communion of the funeral Mass and before the prayers of final commendation. Further practical instructions are included on the length and appropriateness of these remarks.
If one wonders what one should wear to a funeral, formal attire is always appropriate. Also, music should be chosen from the Church’s accepted and much-loved history that expresses Christ’s suffering, death, and triumph over death. Non-Christian music such as country-western and polkas should not be played at funerals.
This question was answered by a priest of the Diocese of Lincoln. Write to Ask the Register using our online form, or write to 3700 Sheridan Blvd., Suite 10, Lincoln NE 68506-6100. All questions are subject to editing. Editors decide which questions to publish. Personal questions cannot be answered. People with such questions are urged to take them to their nearest Catholic priest.
