Guidelines for Funeral Planning at Holy Spirit, Two Harbors, MN

On behalf of Holy Spirit Catholic Church, we offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, and we wish to provide a fitting and honorable funeral in their memory and for the repose of their soul.  To help accomplish this in an efficient and effective manner, the following guidelines are to be followed:

1. Regarding Choices of Music for the Funeral Mass:
1.  All congregational hymns during Mass (there are four [4]: the processional, offertory, Communion and recessional hymns) must be chosen from the Church’s hymnal.   The music coordinator will happily assist you in choosing hymns.  You can contact the parish music coordinator, Rosemary Guiney: (218-428-1466).  
2. Secular music of any kind is not permitted to be played either by live musicians or recorded music in the sanctuary of the Church itself.  Only music that possesses at least a sacred character may be chosen for prelude and postlude music.  Defining what musical selections possess or do not possess a sacred character is up to the discretion of the Pastor.
3. The use of outside music/musicians must be approved by the music director and the Pastor.

1. Regarding the Delivery of a Eulogy at the Funeral:  The giving of a eulogy at the funeral is optional.  If the family desires that a eulogy be given in memory of the deceased at the funeral Mass, the following guidelines are to be followed:
1. Only one person is to deliver a eulogy at the funeral.  This eulogy will be delivered immediately before the beginning of the funeral Mass itself (approximately five minutes before the scheduled start time for the funeral Mass).  
2. It is not permitted to have an “open mic” for persons to spontaneously step forward and offer words and reflections.   The appropriate time for that is either at the wake, the cemetery or at the luncheon.
3. The eulogy should be brief (five minutes or less), and appropriate language/stories for a Church setting are always to be used.
4. The eulogy must be written or typed out beforehand, and the eulogist must send a copy of their proposed eulogy at least 24 hours before the funeral Mass begins to the Pastor via email or hand delivery to the parish office.  This is to provide the Pastor with the opportunity to review and edit the text of the eulogy if necessary.
5. All eulogy texts are subject to editing or refusal by the Pastor.

1. Regarding the Luncheon:
1. The menu for the funeral luncheon is set by the family in coordination with the funeral home.  There are three meal plans:
1. The family may provide their own food at their own cost, and parishioners will volunteer to serve the meal.
2. The luncheon can be catered by a local restaurant, and parishioners will volunteer to serve the meal.
3. The parish itself can provide the meal, and parishioners will volunteer to serve the meal.  If this option is chosen, please note that there are two menu options to choose from: 
1. Hot Meal Option: Lasagna, French bread, butter, Caesar salad
2. Cold Meal Option: Meat & cheese tray, white/wheat buns, potato salad, veggie tray
2. For whichever meal plan which you may choose, the parish will provide assorted bars for dessert, coffee, lemonade, water, plates, cups, utensils, napkins, etc., and volunteer parishioners will arrange and serve the luncheon meal.

1. Regarding Donations and Stipends:
1. The celebration of a funeral for a member of the Christian faithful is an act of solemn worship, and as such, is offered free of charge.  However, recognizing that many people of the parish volunteer their time and talents to provide for an honorable and fitting funeral and burial for their fellow Christians, it is customary to consider giving a donation to certain groups of people.   Please note that it is not necessary to give a donation to the Church in order for a funeral to be celebrated.
2. The musicians who provide music do so on their own time, and frequently must take time off of work in order to provide this service.  Therefore, the requested stipend for the Cantor (singer) is $75.00, and the requested stipend for the organist/accompanist is $100.00.  
3. In order to help cover the cost that the parish incurs to provide the luncheon, the requested donation is $100-$200 for catered or family-provided food (meal plan options 1 and 2 above), and $3.50 per plate if the parish provides the food (meal plan option 3).  Please note that $3.50 per plate is regarding the amount of guests that the family of the deceased informs the parish kitchen staff that they believe will be attending, not the actual number of people who end up attending the luncheon.  Please also note that none of this donation goes to the priest/deacon who preside at the funeral, or to other ministers (readers, altar servers, etc.).  Further, the donation that is requested for the funeral luncheon is not to be understood as “paying” for the luncheon; it is strictly that: a donation.  The donation helps to cover the cost incurred by the parish to provide the meal. Whether a donation is made or not, the same menu will be presented, and volunteers will provide the same meal.  
4. In addition, the family of the deceased may also give a donation directly to the priest/deacon presiding at the funeral.  This donation is completely optional, and is not expected by the priest/deacon.  If the family desires to give such a gift to the presider of the funeral, the funeral home will make out a separate check to the presider directly.  

1. Regarding the Biblical Readings to be read at the funeral Mass:
1. The parish secretary or Pastor will provide the family contact person with the options for the scriptural readings at Mass, as well as instructions.
2. The person(s) selected by the family to read the scripture readings at the funeral Mass must themselves be Catholics, since they are exercising a formal ministry during Mass.  The family may always request that the parish provide one of its own trained readers to read at the funeral.

1. Regarding Cremation:
1. While cremation is permitted in the Catholic Church, it is not preferred.  The preferred method for burial is to celebrate the funeral with the body of the deceased present and to bury the body of the deceased in blessed ground.   However, provided that cremation is not chosen for reasons which are contrary to Catholic beliefs, cremation is permitted.
2. It is strongly preferred that the body of the deceased be present for the funeral Mass itself, and if cremation is to be the final disposition of the deceased, that this take place after the funeral Mass.  This flows from our Catholic faith’s reverence and respect for the body of a baptized member of the Church as having been a temple of the Holy Spirit.
3. If the family chooses to have the deceased person cremated, in order for the celebration of the funeral Mass to take place, all of the cremated remains (ashes) of the deceased must be kept together in one container and buried in blessed ground (i.e., a cemetery plot).   Scattering ashes, dividing ashes, or keeping ashes indefinitely at one’s home is not permitted.  

Father Steve Laflamme:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (218) 834 – 4313 (Rectory)

            (218) 393 – 5266 (Cell)