GUIDELINES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN YOU ARE REQUESTING A FUNERAL THAT WILL NOT INVOLVE THE SERVICES OF A FUNERAL HOME

Funeral Services without the assistance of a Funeral Home.
With greater frequency, Saint Anne Parish is receiving requests for funeral services with the cremains of a loved one that will not involve the services of a Funeral Home.

Please note that the Funeral Home attends to a host of details that, when not using their services, are left to the family to consider.  Unaware of this, families may falsely assume the parish will provide them instead.  Examples of these include things such as guest books, prayer cards, floral stands for flowers.

In addition, the Funeral Home is aware of customs and traditions observed with a funeral, whether it is a full body burial or the cremated remains.  Families are not always aware of these practices and may request considerations that cannot be accommodated.

These guidelines are designed to assist you when choosing to celebrate a funeral at Saint Anne without the assistance of a Funeral Home.  It is our hope that these guidelines will help you understand what can be done and what responsibilities the family will need to adopt so that the day of honoring your loved one can be celebrated meaningfully.
 
PLANNING THE FUNERAL
The family will meet with a member of the parish staff to plan the specifics of the funeral.  Our Guide to Planning a Funeral is available here on our website in the menu options to the left of this page to assist you prior to that meeting which included choices of music, readings as well as considering the individuals that will participate in the funeral service.

We realize that this planning can be very stressful.  If prefered, we can make all the planning arrangements for you.  Part of the discussion will include whether it is more appropriate to celebrate a Liturgy of the Word, or a Funeral Mass. 

TRANSPORTATION OF THE CREMAINS
A family member will need to take responsibility for transporting the cremains to the church and, if burial immediately follows the funeral, transporting them to their burial site.

PARKING LOT
The parish parking lot is used by the Town of Hampstead as a general parking location for events, activities and functions that occur on the Town Green and the town school system.  On Saturdays especially, there can be events that the parish is not aware of (for example, sports practice, town function, etc.).  As a result, on Saturdays someone may be needed in advance of the funeral to direct town function attendees to avoid parking in the vicinity directly in front of the church.
 
FLOWERS
Flower arrangements should be limited to three to five in number.  Unlike a wake at the Funeral Home where all the flowers are displayed, the church sanctuary does not serve as a substitute for this memorial.  The final placement of the floral pieces brought to church will be done the parish staff.

Columns and flower stands are usually provided by the funeral home or a florist.  You will need to arrange for these if desired.  We cannot be responsible for columns and stands that you borrow and these need to be removed after the funeral.  Flowers may be left at church, however, the family needs to arrange for transportation of floral pieces you wish to take with you to the burial site.

GUEST BOOK & PRAYER CARDS
Guest books & Prayer Cards may be placed in the entrance of the church on a writing stand.  The family will need to make arrangements to have this collected at the end of the funeral.  Prayer cards are provided by the family and usually through a funeral home or printing facility.

MEMORIAL PHOTOS AND COLLAGES
Memorial photos and collages may be placed in the foyer of the church.  The stands and display boards are usually provided by the Funeral Home.  Families will need to provide their own should they wish to display memorial photos or collages, and arrange to have them collected at the end of the funeral.

REMEMBRANCES AT THE CREMAINS
A Crucifix or Rosary along with a single photograph may be placed with the cremains.  All of these are provided by the family.  Other remembrances are placed at the entrance with the photo collages and guest book.

READINGS AT MASS
Readings are limited to Sacred Scripture.  Copies of the readings chosen during the planning meeting will placed on the pulpit, in large font, with the name of the reader at the top of the page.  This eliminates the need for readers to bring copies of the text with them.

WORDS OF REMEMBRANCE/EULOGY
An opportunity is provided for a family member or their designate, to share some Words of Remembrance (otherwise referred to as a Eulogy), though it is optional and not a required part of the Funeral Mass or Scripture Service.   This needs to be arranged in advance and a copy of the text must be submitted in advance of the funeral day to Fr Marc ([email protected]).  Because these are emotionally charged texts, families often change their mind and decide not to offer these Words of Remembrance even if the original planning was to include them.  If we do not receive the text in advance, that will be our cue that the family has changed their mind, and so as not to embarrase anyone, no one will be invited to come forward at the time of the "eulogy".

BURIAL
The family, with the help of the original funeral home will need to make arrangements for the opening and closing of the grave at the cemetery.  Once the committal prayers at the cemetery are complete, it remains the responsibility of the family to remain at the grave until the burial is completed by the cemetery crew.

COMMITTAL PRAYERS
Burial of the cremains immediately follows the funeral service.  When a family chooses to delay the burial, the Committal Prayers (which are normally done at the cemetery) will be offered at the conclusion of the funeral service.  In some cases, a receiving line for the family is requested at the conclusion of the funeral. This may require that the Committal Prayers be offered at the conclusion of the funeral, as time may not allow for the delay before proceeding to the cemetery.

MILITARY HONORS
Military Honors are usually arranged by the funeral home and take place at the cemetery at the time of burial.  The family will need to arrange for military honors.  If you are delaying burial to a later time, military honors may be observed at the outside entrance of the church, near or under the portico.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
The Funeral Home usually insures that stipends for the parish, the musician and the cantor are provided.  The family will be responsible for making sure that checks for these honorariums are provided at the time of the planning meeting for the funeral.
 
 
(Revised December 2015)