What is involved and where do we start?
Begin by making two phone calls:
The mortuary who will be handling the arrangements.
St. John's Parish Office: 952-935-5536.
Both places will most likely ask basic questions such as who the deceased is,
contact information for relatives who will handle legal and personal matters,
and where the deceased is.
Meet with the mortuary staff
Once the body has been taken to the mortuary, you will need to have a meeting
with the mortuary staff. Here you will discuss burial options, possible funeral
days, obituary items, notification issues and other pertinent issues. They will help you with legal matters such as social security, death certificates, and
other notification issues. With them you will schedule days and times for the
funeral or memorial service, viewing times, and possible times for wake services.
Remember, none of the activities involving the church building or the services
provided by the church can be finalized until they have been confirmed with the
church.
Meet with the pastor
Call the office at 952-935-5536 to schedule the meeting. Our parish secretary
will be able to put you in touch with the pastor. At the meeting, many things
will be discussed. This is often a hard meeting for those in grief, but we will
do our best to guide you through the process. Here are some of the things that
will be discussed:
Scripture readings:
There are several options from which to choose. One reading will be from
the Old Testament or the Acts of the Apostles, one from the New Testament
(letters), and one from the Gospels.
Music Selection:
We will assist you in selecting appropriate music for the funeral. Specifically
we will look at:
an opening litany or hymn,
a Psalm,
a hymn, solo, or anthem for the preparation of the gifts
a hymn, solo, or anthem for communion
a closing hymn
Musicians:
Typically we have an organist and a cantor. They are usually parish musicians.
Even if you have a soloist, we strongly recommend using one of the parish
cantors, as they understand the liturgy and help guide the congregation’s
response. In addition to the cantor, you may have a soloist, if you wish.
The fees for our musicians are listed below.
Involvement in the funeral liturgy:
For the liturgy, you may have the following:
Pall Bearers
People for placing the pall on the casket (usually family)
Up to 2 lectors
Someone to read the petitions (may be done by a lector)
Gift Bearers
Parish fees:
Visitation and/or Funeral Mass: $200
Organist: $150
Cantor: $150
Resurrection Voices (choir): Optional Donation
Other musicians (e.g. violin): Each set their own performance fees.
Funeral Luncheon:
St. John’s Funeral Lunch Committee offers a luncheon service for the grieving
family. The committee will serve whatever food the family provides, or will
prepare and serve a lunch, in which case the suggested donation is $4.00 per
plate.
No one will be denied a funeral for lack of funds. Please
contact the pastor if these fees are a hardship.
