Bereavement Ministry
About Bereavement Ministry
The Bereavement Ministry at St. Francis assists grieving families with the arrangements for the funeral Mass after the death of a loved one. Some volunteers serve as Home Visitors who meet with the family in their home to select the readings and music for the funeral Mass. Others are Altar Servers who assist the family and the presider at the Mass of Resurrection. Still others on the Repast Committee serve the catered meal after the Mass if the family has requested this opportunity to gather and celebrate the life of the departed in the church hall.
Since 1989 volunteers of the Bereavement Ministry have been bringing the compassionate spirit of St. Francis Parish to the family and loved ones who have had a death in their family and are planning a Funeral or Memorial Mass at St. Francis Parish.
Care Ministers - Home Visitors
After a funeral director or a family member contacts the Parish Office to schedule a funeral or Memorial Mass, the assigned Care Minister contacts the family member, offers sympathy for loss of their loved one and works with the family to plan the funeral/Memorial Mass which will honor the deceased. Care Ministers visit the family at home if they are local or by phone and/or website if they are not in order to select the scripture readings and music. In these conversations the family indicates which family members will read the scripture passages at the Mass. On the day of the funeral/Memorial Mass, the Home Visitor is present, assisting the families and being helpful in any appropriate way.
Prospective Care Ministers need to be active listeners, focusing on the bereaved and their loss, sensitive to the needs of the family while working within St. Francis Parish liturgical guidelines. A volunteer with a compassionate heart who understands that each person mourns in their own way will be a blessing to all.
For more information about the Care Ministry/Home Visitor contact:
Care Ministers -
Altar Servers
Altar servers work with Home Visitors to prepare for a funeral Mass or Memorial Mass and then serve the Mass. This includes placing the selected readings on the ambo, setting up the holy water and incense, preparing the hosts and wine for consecration, serving as EM, and presenting the incense to the presider.
To serve in this ministry a person must be a Eucharistic Minister or be willing to be trained to become one. The server maintains a reverent attitude while handling the liturgical materials and interacting with the family of the deceased and others in attendance. For each Mass, the server begins set up one hour prior to the beginning of the Mass or one half hour before the gathering if there is one. Another half hour is required for cleanup. In total about 2 ½ hours are needed.
Servers are usually asked to serve one or two Masses a month.
New volunteers are welcome.
Care Ministers- Repast Committee
For more than 30 years the Repast Committee has been providing support and comfort to grieving families by providing a place for family and friends to gather together to remember someone who was cherished in life.
At the request of family members, the committee members assist in the selection of catered food for a meal following a funeral or service. The volunteers provide the complete set-up, meal service and clean-up of the hall. The committee believes that offering hospitality after a funeral/service provides a less formal setting for guests to offer condolences to the family, to celebrate the life of the deceased and bring closure to the funeral.
Members who serve on this committee volunteer 3-4 hours of their time to provide a repast. They are responsible for set-up, serving food and clean-up.
Volunteers for this ministry should have a spirit of compassion, the willingness to offer support to others and because of the nature of this ministry, the ability to be on their feet for 2-3 hours.
Committee members are contacted by text or phone call when needed and are asked to respond within 24 hours as to their availability for a particular repast. Repasts occur only when requested by a family so the number of times a committee member will be asked to serve depends on the number of repasts requested.
FAQs about funerals at St. Francis Parish
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No. Contact the Parish office at 609-494-8813.
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No, All are welcome to participate in the Mass.
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Contact the Parish office for that information.
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Yes. Requests are made through the Parish office when arrangements are made. If a specific priest is available, he will celebrate the Mass.
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If there is a casket or cremains, it is a Funeral. If no casket or cremains are present, it is a Memorial Mass.
Get Involved
To be part of this ministry, please contact us below:
or Call the Music and Liturgy Office at: 609-494-8813 ext. 159
