We pray for our beloved deceased parishioners, family and friends.

Upcoming Funerals:

†Emily DeCesare –  Rosary will  be held on Thursday March 12, at 6:30 PM. Her Funeral Mass will be on Friday March 13,  at 10 AM and Interment Holy Cross Cemetery.

†James Corbett–  His Funeral Mass will be on Tuesday  March 17,  at 9 AM and Interment Miramar National Cemetery at 11:30 AM

†John Keawe, SR. –  His Funeral Mass will be on Tuesday  March 24,  at 8 AM and Interment  Miramar National Cemetery at 10 AM

†Rita Wack–  Her Funeral Mass will be on Saturday  April  18,  at 12 Noon

Reflection

Losing a loved one to death is one of the most profound moments in anyone’s life. We are honored when families and friends come to us to share this moment with them and help them to commend this person to the Lord.

Death is a profoundly human experience. No matter what culture or religious tradition one is rooted in, there are three moments that need to happen: We need to tell the story and celebrate the person’s life. We need to see this in the context of our faith: what we believe about life and death. We need to face the reality that this person is gone physically and our lives have changed. These three moments are dynamic: we move through them over and over again. In a moment we could have a happy memory, knowing that the loved one is at peace with the Lord.  Later we feel sad that this person will not be here for the next family event. It is important to move through these moments as we grieve for our loved one.

As Roman Catholics, we have ritualized these moments. A Mass is celebrated. This is our communal faith response. We bring our loved one to the banquet of the Lord where we formally commend them to the Lord. We bless them with the holy water and clothe them with the pall, reminding them of their baptism into the death and resurrection of the Lord. Following the funeral Mass we take the loved one to the cemetery and bury them, knowing that life had changed.

Prior to the Mass of Resurrection some gather for viewing and prayers at the mortuary; some do not. Some say the rosary; some do not. There is a variety of experiences surrounding this time prior to the funeral Mass. After the funeral Mass, there are many options. Some are buried in cemeteries; some are cremated and entombed; some are taken back to their families places of origin — maybe another city, state, or country.