Zita Maier, Humboldt, Sask. When a member of Christ's Body dies, the faithful are called to offer consolation to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one. 1 It is the believing community that has the responsibility for this ministry of consolation. 2 It is in this spirit that the Canadian bishops have mandated laypeople to preside at funeral vigils and related rites, and the rite of committal, when no priest or deacon is available. 3 More Canadian laypeople leading vigils Because of the growing shortage of priests available to minister in parishes, and the advancing age of many who are active as pastors, more and more parishes are asking laypeople to lead funeral vigils. In some large parishes where there is only one priest as pastor, particularly where there are many funerals, it has been the practice for years to have laypeople preside at all vigils in order to ease the burden for these pastors. It is simply taken for granted that this is how it is done in the parish. In some small rural parishes, where one priest has pastoral responsibility for a cluster of parishes, parishioners find themselves taking more responsibility for pastoral ministry, including the role of leading vigils. In some remote communities in Canada, parishioners bury their dead with prayers. They then celebrate a funeral Mass when a priest visits. Historical role of laypeople in the funeral rites It may be because of the shortage of priests that the ministry of leading funeral vigils is becoming the responsibility of laypeople in more and more parishes. However, laypeople taking responsibility for funeral rites is not without precedent in the Church. The Christian community has long honoured its deceased through prayer, Scripture, and keeping vigil with the body. In the first centuries of Christianity, it was the family and friends of the deceased person who surrounded the death and burial of one of their members with Scriptures readings and praying the psalms. The burial itself consisted of a procession with the body, accompanied by singing the psalms. The procession made its way through the church to the place of burial, which were usually located next to the church. Only in the thirteenth century did the practice begin of having a special Requiem Mass as part of the funeral rites. 1 / 6
The Vigil as Part of an Order A first moment of prayer in the presence of the deceased The current official ritual for the English sector of the Canadian Church, the Order of Christian Funerals, offers three rites that make up of the Catholic funeral liturgies. They are the vigil, the funeral liturgy (Mass, or a celebration of the Word), and the rite of committal. The first of these rites is a vigil, which can take place in the home, the funeral chapel, or sometimes the stated preference of a diocese the parish church. The vigil is therefore an official rite of the Church. The vigil offers the first occasion for the solemn reading of the Word of God, the central and essential part of the service. It is here that one encounters the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection as God's victory over death, making it possible to say in the presence of the deceased that death does not have the last word God does. The vigil also gives a community an opportunity to remember the deceased person, express grief, and offer their support. The Order of Christian Funerals Those who are called on to lead a funeral vigil do so in the name of the Church. It is therefore important that they use the official ritual book, the Order of Christian Funerals ( OCF ). Lay leaders are urged to obtain a copy of the OCF and look over the rites. They will notice that all of the rites except the funeral Mass are intended for laypeople as well as those ordained; the final blessing in these various rites gives options for both. The vigil itself has many options, including a rite that begins with a welcoming of the body when the vigil takes place in the parish church, one for the death of a child, and two that use the format of evening prayer. The Role of the Presider Understanding the cultural context 2 / 6
It will be helpful for laypeople who lead funeral vigils to reflect not only on what it is they are doing but also on the context of their ministry. In a North American death-denying culture, Christian funerals are countercultural. Consider, for example, how a growing number of people cremate the body immediately after death, and frequently request that there be no funeral services. The Christian understanding of funerals Christian funerals, based on belief in the resurrection, mark death as an event in which life is changed, not ended. Grieving families and friends whose emotions are in a vulnerable state can be encouraged to focus, not on a life that has ended, but on what is to come. Funerals are a rite of passage, and for Christians that passage is to a new life with Christ. The funeral liturgy as ministry Funeral rituals give members of the community a means to offer consolation when words fail. It has been noted that the Catholic funeral liturgy, with its active participation and its symbolic expression, is inherently therapeutic for the mourners and contributes to healing in the grieving process. For this reason it is particularly important that the funeral liturgy be well prepared, with as much participation as possible by the grieving family, and celebrated with reverence and care. Thus it can be said of funeral rites, more so than of any other liturgical celebration, that the liturgy itself is ministry. Pastoral care For those who prepare and lead funeral liturgies, the aspect of pastoral care is particularly important. There is no such thing as a generic funeral; each celebration must be prepared with the life of the deceased person, the grieving family and friends in mind. Part of the preparation involves meeting with the family in order to hear the story of the deceased person and to give them an opportunity to select readings and perhaps the prayers, and to carry out some of the other ministries if they are able to do so. 3 / 6
Bereavement teams More and more parishes are establishing bereavement teams, whose role includes visiting the bereaved family, offering consolation and support on behalf of the parish, and explaining the funeral rites to them. Often the laypeople who lead the vigil service are part of the team, but if they are not, they need to be in communication with the team. If there is no such team, the presider should visit the family to discuss the rite with them, to see how they want to be involved, and to find ways to make the liturgy more personal. It is also an opportunity to point out to the family that the vigil suggests that before the concluding rite a family member may speak in remembrance of the deceased. This is the appropriate place for what is normally called a eulogy. Sensitivity to the emotional state of those grieving must be a part of the ministry. The Skills Familiarity with the Order of Christian Funerals The first task of the presider is to become thoroughly familiar with the structure of the rite and the options available. The pastoral notes provided in the OCF (pp. 38-40) are required reading material. Once the presider has a grasp of the order of service, he or she will choose a theme that reflects the situation. If the assembly will be using the companion booklet, Vigils and Related Rites from the Order of Christian Funerals, the presider must adhere to one basic option to assist the assembly's participation. The readings from any of the options may be used, or other Scripture readings may be chosen, provided they do not duplicate those for the funeral liturgy. Presiders will want to pay particular attention to the vast choice of opening prayers included in the OCF. Informal comments and devotional prayers The leader may wonder about informal comments such as welcoming those who have come, since there is no rubric to indicate where this is to be done. The opening rites of the Eucharist 4 / 6
can be the model, in which the rubrics indicate that informal comments may be made after the opening sign of the cross and the liturgical greeting. Also, if the family requests the inclusion of devotional elements, shorter prayers, such as a decade of the rosary, these may be added after the intercessions or litany. However, if many in the assembly are not Catholics, this may not be appropriate. Effective communication The skills for effective communication as a presider are the same as those required by those who proclaim the Word in any other liturgy. The presider's manner will be dignified, yet welcoming and open, with a spirit of reverence toward the praying community. The leader always prays as one among equals. The reflection, or homily A major concern for any layperson leading the vigil will be giving a reflection after the readings. (The word homily in the OCF is used in the generic sense, and encompasses a reflection given by a layperson.) The function of the reflection is to connect the readings proclaimed to the life of the deceased person and the community. Training programs Laypeople called on to preside are urged to make use of any training programs offered by their parish and/or diocese. - For some helpful information for preparing a funeral liturgy, see: Catholic Funerals and Eulogies, the Pall and the Flag (link: http://www.cccb.ca/commissions.htm?cd=&id=339 ). - For some answers to questions regarding cremation and funerals, see: Catholics and Cremation (link: 5 / 6
http://www.cccb.ca/commissions.htm?cd=&id=337 ). - To order the Order of Christian Funerals, see: (link: http://www.cccbpublications.ca/miva/ merchant.mv?screen=ctgy&store_code=cccb-eng&category_code=lit-rit ), please contact CCCB Publications (link: http://www.cccbpublications.ca/ ). 1. General Introduction, Order of Christian Funerals, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1990, (hereafter OCF ), no. 8. 2. OCF, no. 9. 3. OCF, no.14. 6 / 6