When a loved one dies, the task of making arrangements can seem overwhelming. Notre Dame Staff and volunteers are here to serve you, your family and friends during this time of planning. Once a funeral director has notified the church of a death, our Pastoral Associate and Bereavement Ministers will assist you to develop an authentic and dignified vigil, wake and funeral service for your loved one. To schedule your planning meeting, please call the Parish Office at 630-654-3365.

Notre Dame Parish Funeral Planning Booklet

Funeral Planning Booklet for Children

1. Why do we celebrate the funeral rites?
   In the funeral rites we pray for the deceased, entrusting them to God’s mercy and care. We honor the body.
   We comfort the living in their grief. We celebrate the funeral rites not only for the dead but also for the living.
2. Is cremation permitted by the Catholic Church?
   Since 1963, the Church has permitted cremation as long as the Church’s teaching on the resurrection of the body is upheld.
3. How are the rites celebrated for someone who chooses cremation?
   The Church prefers that the body be present for the Funeral Liturgy and cremated following the Final Commendation of the Liturgy. If there is a serious reason, it may be possible to celebrate the Funeral Liturgy in the presence of cremated remains.
4. What rites can be used for miscarried or stillborn infants?
   “Funeral Rites may be celebrated for children whose parents intended them to be Baptized but who died before Baptism. In these celebrations the Christian community entrusts the child to God’s all-embracing love.” (Order of Christian Funeral #237)
5. What rites can be used for a suicide victim?
   This person is entrusted to God’s love and mercy and is therefore entitled to the usual Funeral Rites.
6. What is done for a lapsed Catholic?
   By virtue of Baptism this person is entitled to the prayers of the Church including the Funeral Rites.
7. What is the proper place for the Funeral Rites?
   The Vigil service is celebrated in the presence of the body in the funeral home the night before. The Vigil is the first formal gathering time for the family to gather in prayer to God and find strength in Christ’s presence. Visitation of the body can take place before the Funeral Mass. The Funeral Mass is always celebrated in the Church. The Committal Rite is preferably celebrated at the grave or the tomb.
8. Why do we recommend viewing in the Church before the funeral?
   Gathering at the Church before the Funeral Mass begins allows family and friends a time to console one another, to say final goodbyes, and to enter into the spirit of prayer.
9. What is the Rite of Committal? The Rite of Committal is the conclusion of the Catholic funeral liturgy, after the Vigil (usually the day or night before the funeral) and the Funeral Mass (or Funeral Liturgy outside Mass). It is normally celebrated at the site of burial. The Rite is the formal committing of the body to its resting place, at which time the community expresses the hope that, with all those who have gone before marked with the sign of faith, the deceased awaits the glory of the resurrection.
10. Why is the grave or tomb the preferred site for the Rite of Committal? The grave or tomb is preferred because the prayers from the ritual express clearly the finality of placing the body in the ground or in the tomb.