Please contact the parish office 508-693-0342 to help in this time of need. If you are making your funeral arrangements through the Chapman Funeral Home in Oak Bluffs, Lenny and staff will coordinate the Funeral Mass, Wake Service and Burial with us.
Funeral home #508-693-1495
Overview of Catholic Funeral Rites
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
354. What is the relationship between the sacraments and the death of a Christian?
The Christian who dies in Christ reaches at the end of his earthly existence the fulfillment of that new life which was begun in Baptism, strengthened in Confirmation, and nourished in the Eucharist, the foretaste of the heavenly banquet. The meaning of the death of a Christian becomes clear in the light of the death and Resurrection of Christ our only hope. The Christian who dies in Christ Jesus goes “away from the body to be a home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).
Further reading: CCC 1680-1683
355. What do funeral rites express?
Although celebrated in different rites in keeping with the situations and traditions of various regions, funerals express the paschal character of Christian death in hope of the resurrection. They also manifest the meaning of communion with the departed particularly through prayer for the purification of their souls.
Further reading: CCC 1684-1685
356. What are the main moments in funerals?
Usually, funeral rites consist of four principal parts: welcoming the body of the deceased by the community with words of comfort and hope, the liturgy of the Word, the Eucharistic Sacrifice, and the farewell in which the soul of the departed is entrusted to God, the Source of eternal life, while the body is buried in the hope of the resurrection.
Further reading: CCC 1686-1690
Cemeteries: Catholic Cemeteries in the Diocese of Fall River carry out the sacred duty of providing a dignified Christian burial for all of our beloved faithful departed. These cemeteries are extensions of our parishes. Just as the faithful have shared and celebrated in the community of the Church, so in death their bodies rest with other deceased members of this community, awaiting the day when God will raise their mortal bodies to glory. Our cemeteries are holy places of honor and respect for those who have died; they are places for prayer, reflection, hope and remembrance.
Good Shepherd Parish has Sacred Heart Cemetery, Vineyard Avenue, Oak Bluffs. We have a limited number of traditional full body in ground burial options, as well as in ground cremation graves available for purchase. Please contact Beth in the office for more information 508-693-0342.