Funeral for ...
The staff of St Paul VI Parish, which consists of the communities of Mater Christi, St Mary, and St Hugh, is here to assist you in preparing and celebrating the funeral Mass for your loved one. Below, we present a simple outline of choices you may use to personalize the mass for you and your family. All of these are suggestions; you may choose any sacred music that is familiar or important to you. Fr. Matt Nemchausky will assist in any musical questions or special requests you have; please call him with any questions at 708-447-1020.

You may ask a family member or friend to read the First Reading, the Second Reading, and/or the Universal Prayer. If your family and loved ones prefer not to be readers at the Mass, we at St Paul VI will make sure we have readers available. Likewise, if there are Eucharistic Ministers or altar servers in your family, please let Father know and those members may assist at the Mass. All of us at St Paul VI want to be of service to you during this time of sorrow.

Below are links to some suggested readings from the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops as well as links to some suggested songs that are frequently chosen for funerals. You can find most of these songs in the parish’s Gather hymnal.

Funeral Mass Outline

I.  Entrance Hymn
II.  First Reading
This reading is taken from the Old Testament. You can choose the readings in the book “Through Death to Life” or you can search through the bible to find a reading that speaks to the life or example of your loved one, for example search for the word generous. Remember to choose the New American Bible or New Revised Standard Catholic Edition as your source. An easy search tool is Biblegateway.com.
III.  Responsorial Psalm
IV.  Second Reading
This reading is taken from the New Testament. You may choose anything the bishops recommend, or you may choose an appropriate text from any book in the New Testament (excluding the gospels).
V.  The Gospel
This reading is proclaimed by the priest. You can choose any reading from Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
VI.  Homily
Father gives a short reflection on the scripture and relates it to your loved one. We will ask you to fill out a simple questionnaire so that Father can speak about your loved one.
VII.  Universal Prayer (Prayer of the Faithful)
You make ask a relative or friend to read these short prayers or Father can pray them. There are sample prayers in the book Through Death to Life or you may write some.
VIII.  Preparation of the Gifts
IX.  Communion Songs
X.  Words of Remembrance
You may ask someone to give a short remembrance of your loved one. This can be a remembering of some special traits and (or) inspiring qualities of your loved one. It is best to have the words written down, many times family and friends will request a copy of the reflection. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Prete at 312-330-0001 and she will assist you.
XI.  Song of Farewell
XII.  Closing Hymn
We suggest that this song and the Entrance hymn/song be something that is familiar to your family and friends.