Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church
“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. ”
— Romans 14:8
In the Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church, we celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We give thanks to God for the gift of your loved one’s life and their life in Jesus Christ, we pray for their
soul that they might have peace and enter heaven, and we grieve with you their loss.
If you need to arrange for a funeral, please call the parish office at 206 878-8709.
Funeral Mass
We typically schedule Funeral Masses on Monday, Tuesday and Fridays at 11am. Unfortunately, we are not
able to offer Funeral Masses on Saturdays or Sundays. When you contact the parish, our staff member who
coordinates funerals will help you find a date that is available for you and your family and mutually
agreeable for the priest, staff and funeral home. This person is there to help you with most of the details
around the Funeral Mass and help coordinate with a Funeral Home, if needed.
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This staff member will also set-up a time to talk to you regarding the service details. If you are Catholic or
of another Christian tradition, this is an opportunity to review and discuss some of the readings and music
that you might want to select for your loved one’s Funeral Mass. You can find those readings and music
selections by clicking on the following: First Readings, Second Readings, Gospel Readings, Music Options.
We have some pre-planned funeral readings and music to select from. You can use one of these options as
a starting point and potentially change some of the selections to ones that you prefer. Click HERE to view
the pre-planned options.
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In addition, it may be helpful to familiarize yourself and your family with the Order of the Mass. This will
help orient you regarding the readings and music selections as well as define potential opportunities for
family and friends to participate in the service. Click HERE to do so.
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If this is overwhelming, that’s okay. We can help you choose or suggest the readings and music for you.
The most important part of the Funeral is that we are together to give thanks to God for the life of your
loved one and to grieve their loss.
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To maintain the sacredness of the events for your loved one, we ask that any eulogy that will be given be
by a single person before Mass begins. The Guidelines for the Eulogy can be found HERE.
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You can find our suggested fees/donations HERE. Please do not hesitate to let us know if the
fees/donations are a hardship. This should not be a reason to forego a funeral service.
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Conclusion
It is our hope families of St. Philomena and St. Thomas will contact the parish office immediately upon the
death of a loved one. Families will be put in touch with a staff person or volunteer who can help walk you
through the process of planning a funeral. If needed, we can also put you in touch with a funeral home
that is familiar with our Catholic faith traditions and customs. Our goal is to assist you as a part of the
greater Catholic family to bury your loved one in a Catholic manner, to assist you in giving thanks to God for
their life and especially their hope for eternal life in Christ, and to grieve with you at the time of their loss.
We as a parish family are here to assist you. Please do not hesitate to call upon us. We support you in
prayer and assure you that as a community gathered around the Table of the Lord, we pray, “Lord,
remember those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.” Those you have loved will not be
forgotten.
If you have other questions, please feel free to contact us.