What Happens at a Catholic Burial?
Eternal Rest: The Art of Dying Well
•
1m 26s
The final part of the funeral—the committal—takes place at the graveside, then the body is laid to rest.
After the funeral Mass concludes, the body is often immediately interred in its final resting place at the cemetery. Funeral attendees follow the hearse in procession to the grave, which is already prepared for the ceremony.
“The priest blesses the place of burial, from which the body of the one buried will rise on judgment day.”
A typical graveside committal service includes a brief liturgy and prayers before the interment of the casket in the earth. Sometimes family members and friends toss a flower or handful of dirt into the grave, an action that reminds all present that “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). In the case of cremation, the disposition of the urn—often into a niche within a columbarium or mausoleum—replaces an earth burial.
Up Next in Eternal Rest: The Art of Dying Well
-
What Does Hospice Do?
As part of its mission to help Catholics understand, live, and share their faith, the Augustine Institute encourages individuals and families to think about and prepare for death.
-
What are Advanced Directives?
An advanced directive is a legal document that specifies our wishes in the event we cannot make decisions for ourselves at the end of life.
Advanced directives clarify our end-of-life wishes. An example of an advance directive is a living will—essentially an open letter to doctors outlining the d... -
Can Catholics be Cremated?
Yes, the Catholic Church permits cremation, but full-body earth burials are still preferred.
The Catholic Church has permitted cremation since the Second Vatican Council, though the strong preference remains full-body burials. Cremation is permissible in situations of limited burial space, inade...
