It is customary for the family to contact the funeral home of their choice after a loved one is deceased.  If the family member was a parishioner of St. Mary`s, the funeral home will contact a parish priest to schedule the date and time for a funeral Mass.  To prepare a Funeral Mass in either the Main Church or Our Lady's Chapel, please call the Parish Office (301) 292-0527 x101,  in order to arrange an appointment with Father Plummer.
As Catholics, we are bound to observe the Order of Christian Funerals as prescribed in the Roman Ritual, and to observe additional parish policies.

If a Vigil service for the deceased is desired, please arrange for a viewing or wake at the funeral home of your choice.   A priest or deacon will gladly come to the funeral home and celebrate the Vigil Service.  There are no wakes or viewings in either the Main Church or in Our Lady's Chapel.

Music arrangements for a funeral Mass must be made with Dr. Eran Lupu (please call the office for his phone number.)  

For burial arrangements in our cemetery, please call the Archdiocese of Washington Office of Catholic Cemeteries at (301) 932-1766.
Click LINK.

Click HERE for Congregation For the Doctrine of the Faith Instruction Ad resurgendum cum Christo regarding the burial of the deceased and the conservation of the ashes in the case of cremation. Click HERE for the Q & A on Cremation.
For the 2016 UPDATE Click HERE.

Music for the Mass of Christian Burial

Music selections
Below please find a list of music selections. Please note that any of the songs/hymns listed can be used as Processional, Communion/Meditation, and Recessional if it is so wished. A hymn can also be used for the Offertory instead of a vocal solo. Please limit your choices to the selections below or to music available in the Ignatius Pew Missal. For copyright reasons, we cannot accommodate requests for songs which are not in public domain and not available in the Ignatius Pew Missal.

Organist
As is customary, St. Mary’s Music Director/Organist has the right of first refusal. A visiting organist is allowed only if our organist asks to be released from a specific event. In that case, our music director/organist will provide a replacement organist. If the music director/organist has waved his right and a family wishes to engage a specific visiting organist, it will have to obtain the consent of our music director/organist.

Cantor
Ordinarily, our cantor sings for all funerals. If a family member wishes to sing at a funeral, this is allowed as long as the singing is limited to specific hymns/songs. Our cantor will still sing the ordinary and propers of the Mass. At St. Mary’s we sing the ordinary of the Mass and some of the propers in Latin. We use three different plainchant settings rotating on a seasonal basis. Familiarity with all this repertoire is required to be able to navigate through a Mass and lead the congregation successfully. Our cantor is fully equipped to do so.
 

Although there is music throughout the entirety of the Funeral Mass, there are four specific times; however, wherein the family may make specific requests regarding the music:  1) Processional, 2) the Offertory (i.e. Preparation of the Gifts), 3) Communion, and 4) the Recessional (at which time the coffin exits).  It is church policy that all music for the Mass must be sacred in nature.  For the convenience of the family, the following music selections are suggested as being appropriate: 

Processional

• Amazing Grace
• O God, Our Help in Ages Past
• Fairest Lord Jesus
• There is a Wideness in God's Mercy
• On Eagles Wings
• How Great Thou Art
• The King of Love My Shepherd Is

Offertory (A Solo is often sung here by the Cantor)

• Ave Maria (Schubert)
• Panis Angelicus (Franck)
• Pie Jesu (Faure, Requiem)

Communion

• I Am the Bread of Life
• O Sacrament Most Holy
• Alleluia, Sing to Jesus (Except during Lent)
• Ave Verum Corpus
• Panis Angelicus (Hymn)
• Shepherd of Souls
• Wondrous Love
• Soul of My Savior
• The King of Love My Shepherd Is
• Draw us In the Spirit's Tether (not during Lent)

Recessional

• I Know that My Redeemer Lives ("Duke Street" tune)
• America, the Beautiful
• The Strife is O'er, the Battle Won (Easter Hymn of Resurrection)
• A Mighty Fortress is Our God
• For All the Saints (not during Lent)
• Lift High the Cross
• How Great Thou Art
• Sing with All the Saints in Glory (Beethoven's "Ode to Joy")
• Alleluia, Sing to Jesus (not during Lent)

All Mass parts (including the Gospel and Eucharistic Acclamations) are sung, as led by the Cantor.  This includes the Responsorial Psalm, which is generally a musical setting of Psalm 23.  There is also a sung setting for the final Song of Farewell. It is highly suggested that a Staff Cantor be present in order to lead the singing during the liturgy. 

Please contact the Director of Music and Liturgy, Dr. Eran Lupu (please call 301-292-0527 for his phone number), or [email protected], as soon as possible, in order to discuss the musical arrangements for the Mass.

FUNERAL OFFERINGS 

Funeral Readings:

Below are the funeral reading choices.  Please pick a First Reading, Second Reading, Gospel, and General Intercession. The priest/deacon will read the Gospel and General Intercessions.  A family member/loved one can read the First and Second Reading if you prefer.

First Readings

• Wisdom 4:7-15
• Wisdom 3:1-9
• Wisdom 3:1-6, 9
• 2 Maccabees 12:43-46
• Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9

First Reading During the Easter Season

• Revelation 14:13
• Revelation 20:11-21:1
• Acts 10:34-43
• Acts 10:34-36, 42-43
• Revelation 21:1-5a, 6b-7

Second Reading

• Romans 5:5-11
• Romans 6:3-9
• Romans 6:3-4, 8-9
• Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39
• Romans 14:7-9, 10c-12
• 1 Corinthians 15:20-28
• 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
• 1 Corinthians 15:51-57
• Philippians 3:20-21
• 2 Corinthians 4:14-5:1
• 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-10
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
• 2 John 3:1-2

Gospel Reading

• Matthew 5:1-12a
• Matthew 11:25-30
• Luke 22:33, 39-43
• John 6:37-40
• John 6:51-59
• Luke 24:13-35
• Luke 24:13-16, 28-35
• John 11:17-27
• John 11:21-27
• John 11:32-45
• John 12:23-28
• John 12:23-26
• John 14:1-6
• John 17:24-26

General Intercessions

• 401-3
• 401-2
• 401-1

 Funeral Order of the Mass

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