St. John Vianney Funeral Mass
For the deceased have reached the end of their earthly journey – for the faithful life is not ended but changed.
We take the final steps of the journey together as we respectfully pray at the Vigil for the deceased with family and friends and lovingly remember their life with us. The next steps of the journey we bring the deceased to the church where we celebrate the Funeral Mass with all its symbolism and rituals that remind us of the eternal promises of Jesus Christ.
The funeral Mass is our final opportunity to commend the deceased to God’s mercy, and to reflect on how the person’s life reflected the love and teachings of Jesus Christ. Here we are reminded through the prayers, readings and songs of the promises of Jesus Christ, that one day, those who have put their faith in Him will rise again and live with him forever.
The funeral Mass is a time to pray for the repose of the person’s soul, and to pray for the family, in the Mass we encounter the Lord Jesus and His mercy, we proclaim His word in the Gospels and we show reverence for the deceased as we say our final farewell.
The last step of the journey is to take the deceased to their resting place to await the final resurrection. This is our hope, our salvation won by Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection. We are supported by our parish community in love and prayer as we put our faith in God’s promises at this sad time.