HST Coming 1 July!!

St. Mary’s cemetery has plenty of Full burial plots, Cremation plots, Columbarium niches.
Call 328-0918 to book your appointment.
Tour the cemetery, purchase preneed now, and gain peace of mind. You’ll also save paying the HST!
Current prices can be viewed here.

MONUMENT CLEANING

Anyone wishing to have their monuments power washed and cleaned which will remove moss and scaling, please book now. Call our custodian Brian direct at 879-5204.
Depending on size, cost for this effective service is $25 or $50 made payable to St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Anyone wishing to have their monuments power washed and cleaned which will remove moss and scaling, please contact our custodian Brian at 879-5204.

Cost for this very effective service is only $25 per monument.

Thanks to all who attended the memorial day celebration at the cemetery and after that the picnic. Here are a few pictures clicked by Annette and Pete Watson.

Thank you to the Cemetery Board Members and staff, the St. Mary’s Choir, People in charge of the music and microphone equipment. CWL for flowers, Msgr. Scott, Mary Eleanor Henley, and anyone we may have missed.

Your time and dedication is greatly appreciated.

Here are some pictures from the celebration and our parish picnic afterwards.

St. Mary’s Cemetery annual memorial service will be held this year on the 16 August at 11am.

As usual we will commemorate those that have been buried in our cemetery in the past year, by reading their names.

Please bring your lawn chairs, as we are expecting a larger attendance this year because this service will be replacing the regular 11am. mass held in the church.

The Order of Christian Funerals, published in 1990 by the Canadian Bishops, guides the Catholic community with specific rites and prayers to express consolation to those who grieve, to give thanks to God for the blessings received by and through the deceased and to ask God for mercy on all sinners. It is designed to help confront death in light of the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. “In the face of death the Church confidently proclaims that God has created each person for eternal life and that Jesus, by his death and resurrection, has broken the chains of sin and death that bound humanity.” (The Order of Christian Funerals #1)

Funerals for Catholics have three distinct parts.

The Vigil

“At the death of a Christian, whose life was begun in the waters of Baptism and strengthened at the Eucharistic table, the Church intercedes on behalf of the deceased because of its confident belief that death is not the end nor does it break the bonds forged in life.” (OCF #4)

The time immediately following death is often one of bewilderment and may involve shock or heartrending grief for the family and close friends. The ministry of the Church at this time is one of gently accompanying the mourners in their initial adjustment to the fact of death and to the sorrow this entails. “The members of the Christian community offer support to the mourners, especially by praying that the one they have lost may have eternal life.” (OCF #52)

The Vigil, which is generally held in a funeral home but may be celebrated in the home or other suitable place (OCF #83), includes a solemn reading of the Word of God and prayers for the deceased and those who mourn. This is the suitable occasion for a eulogy for sharing remembrances of the deceased.

Why a Vigil? In time of loss the family and community turn to God’s Word as the source of faith and hope, as light and life in the face of darkness and death. The prayers call on God to bring the deceased into the communion of saints. The whole ceremony is reminiscent of the Easter Vigil when, in the darkened church, we await the glorious resurrection of the Lord.

Who participates in the Vigil? “Whenever possible the family of the deceased should take part in the selection of texts and music and designation of the liturgical ministers” (OCF # 93) Members of the local parish community are also encouraged to participate as a sign of concern and support for the mourners. A priest, a deacon or, in their absence, a lay person leads the community in prayer.

The Funeral Mass

“Christians celebrate the funeral rites to offer worship, praise, and thanksgiving to God for the gift of life which has now been returned to God, the author of life and the hope of the just. The Mass, the memorial of Christ’s death and resurrection, is the principal celebration of the Christian funeral.” (OCF # 5)

When planning a Funeral Mass, there are five important points to consider.

There is to be a Funeral Mass celebrated for every deceased Catholic. The only exceptions are: if a priest is unavailable, or if the Mass is to occur between Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday or on a Sunday or on a Holy Day of Obligation. If, due to extraordinary circumstances, families do not wish to have a Mass, they should consult with the parish priest before making arrangements with a funeral director. If there is serious reason to have no Mass, The Order of Christian Funerals states that the service without a Mass is “ordinarily” to be celebrated in the parish church. (OCF #350)

There is an emphasis on the baptism of the deceased since it is through baptism in Jesus that each person receives the promise of eternal life. The white pall draped over the casket, the holy water and the Easter candle are symbols of Christ’s life which is bestowed through the waters of baptism.

Requests for secular music cannot be accommodated during the Mass since the very nature of the Mass requires that the lyrics of the songs “express the mystery of the Lord’s suffering, death and triumph over death.” (OCF #30)

The readings for Mass are to be taken from the Bible. The family may choose the readings but they may not be from any source other than Sacred Scripture.

The Order of Christian Funerals prohibits a eulogy in the context of Mass. ” A brief homily based on the readings is always given after the gospel reading at the funeral liturgy . . . but there is never to be a eulogy” (OCF # 27). While a eulogy is intended to recall and even praise the deceased, a homily is directed to helping all who are gathered to understand the mystery of God’s love and how the mystery of Jesus’ victorious death and resurrection were present in the life of the deceased and are present in our lives as well.

The Rite of Committal

“The rite of committal, the conclusion of the funeral rites, is celebrated at the grave, tomb, or crematorium and may be used for burial at sea.” (OCF #512) Prayers are offered to commit the body of the deceased to its final resting place. When the body has been or will be cremated, appropriate adaptions are made to the prayers of committal and signs of farewell.

Cremation

In 1984, the Roman Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments granted permission to the Church in Canada for the funeral liturgy, including the Funeral Mass, to be celebrated with the cremated remains of the deceased person present. This is permissible when the choice of cremation is not inspired by motives contrary to Christian teaching and when the bishop of the diocese gives permission.

At the funeral Mass, the cremated remains, in a dignified container, are placed on a small table provided for this purpose. The liturgy concludes with the final commendation and the subsequent interment of the remains. The Church asks that in keeping with a spirit of reverence, the cremated remains be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or niche provided for this purpose. (National Liturgy Office, “Catholics and Cremation,” 1998.)

Archdiocese of Toronto 1998

For more information on burial within our Catholic Cemetery, please call St. Mary’s Cemetery

Can Catholics be cremated? The answer is yes. When did Cremation become Acceptable?

Cremation of the bodies of the deceased has been an acceptable option for Catholics of the Latin Rite since 1963.

The Second Vatican Council recognized countries such as England or Japan had little land for cemeteries. Also, places such as India , China and Japan are cultures where ground burial is not common. And in other parts of the world cremation is necessary for health and or economic reasons.

The Church feels that’ internment of the body is important because it signals the end of life on earth and the beginning of life beyond the grave. The resurrection of Jesus from the tomb stands as a symbol of the sacredness’ of the human body. Cremation, was viewed as total destruction ofthe body. The Church believes our bodies will reassemble at the time of the Resurrection regardless of our condition in death or the final mode of disposition.

Current Church Legislation regarding cremation can be found in the 1983 revision of the Code of Canon Law (cc. 1176, 1184) which follows recommendations made in 1963 that cremation no longer be condemned.
Are there any conditions where the Church will oppose cremation?

The Church urges caution in reference to those who would use cremation as an expression of denial in the Christian belief in the resurrection of the body. Current Church law presumes one’s choice for cremation over burial has nothing to do with hostilityto Christian faith. But if the contrary is evident then burial from the Church in all its stages is withheld.

What Cremation and Liturgy is involved in cremation?

Full celebration of a Christian Funeral consists of three main rites or “stations”:

1) The vigil for the deceased (first gathering to pray).

2) The funeral liturgy (a funeral Mass or liturgy of the word).

3) And the rite of committal normally celebrated at the body’s final resting place.

All three rites should be celebrated whenever possible.

The Church has always expressed a belief the body should be treated with great respect and as a temple of the Holy Spirit. This is shown through the prayers and gestures used in the liturgy. Because of this reverence the Church still prefers traditional earth burial in a grave or tomb in memory of Jesus’ body being placed in a tomb.

If cremation has been chosen, the Church will celebrate the fimeral rites, unless there is evidence that cremation was chosen for reasons contrary to Christian belief.

What are the options to celebrate the funeral liturgy with regards to cremation?

There are three options:

1) When cremation takes place after the funeral liturgy.

The Church prefers that cremation takes place after the funeral liturgy.

This allows celebration of the three principal
funeral rites in the presence of the body. As well, it is an opportunity to show the reverence for the body through signs that have long been part of Church tradition.

The vigil for the deceased and the funeral liturgy are celebrated as usual, with a slight change. During the final commendation after the funeral liturgy it is indicated that the procession with the body will proceed to the crematorium and not to the cemetery.

If family and friends accompany the body to the crematorium, the rite of committal may be celebrated there. There is one more opportunity for a prayer service after the cremation: when the cremated remains are buried or entombed. However, families may also choose to have only one prayer service: the rite of committal for the burial or entombment of the cremated remains.

2) When cremation takes place before the funeral liturgy.

Sometimes cremation cannot be delayed until funeral rites have been celebrated. Sometimes the remains will be interred before the funeral liturgy. If possible, the vigil of the deceased is celebrated, with a few adaptations before cremation. A rite of committal of the cremated remains, with final commendation that usually concludes the funeral liturgy, accompanies the interment.

Friends and family then gather with the Christian community for the funeral liturgy. Such a funeral liturgy can be celebrated when the body cannot be found, was destroyed, or when the body has been donated to science.

3) Funeral liturgy with the cremated remains present.
The funeral liturgy, including the Eucharist, may be celebrated with the cremated remains of the deceased person present. There are some conditions, namely, that the cremation was not inspired by motives contrary to Christian teaching and that the Bishop of the diocese agrees that it is pastorally proper to do so.

The cremated remains, should be placed in a dignified container and set upon a small table provided for this purpose. The liturgy will conclude with the final commendation. Signs of reverence toward the body, such as sprinkling of holy water and the use of incense, may be used. The interment of the remains may then follow the liturgy or take place at another appropriate time.

What does the Church recommend for the final resting places of ashes?

The great respect the Church has for the deceased should always be evident in way the cremated remains are treated after cremation. This means placement in a worthy container, and all who handle them should do so with care and reverence until final disposition.

The Church asks, that in keeping with a spirit of reverence, the cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium.

There is also a spiritual and emotional benefit for placing cremated remains in a proper place of burial. It gives the bereaved and the Church community a place to focus remembrance and prayer for the deceased. Such a place will make it easier to memorialize the deceased.

According to Church tradition scattering cremated remains on the sea, in the air, on the ground, or keeping them in the homes of relatives does not display appropriate reverence.

Catholic Cemeteries – Archdiocese of Toronto provides several options for those who choose cremation. Cremation graves, columbarium niches and mausoleum niches are available. Cremation urns and urn vaults are on display in all offices. Selection may vary by cemetery.

For more information contact the St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Sources: National Liturgy Office, Ottawa, CCCB, 1998.
Perry, Rev. Joseph N., M. Div., J.C.L., “Church Legislation Regarding Cremation”, Catholic Cemetery, January, 1989.

However much we are expecting it, death is always a shock. When death is unexpected, or the person is very young, it can be overwhelmingly painful.

Steps to take when someone close is dying or has recently died.

• Call a priest

• Sacrament for the sick

• Confession, Anointing and Holy Communion

• Pray with the person

• What if someone dies suddenly?

• What if the dying person is not Catholic?

• Arranging the funeral

• What is important?

• Our death is linked to our baptism

• Different forms of a funeral

• Involving family and relatives

• The final journey to heaven

• Burial or cremation

• How to cope afterwards

Grave plots and Columbarium (cremated remains) niches will be going up 20% on 15th August 2009.

Hurry now to buy your plot/niche before the increase!

Please phone 328-0918 for more details and to book your appointment.

Don’t delay! Save your family and relatives the hardship of having to make these arrangements at the worst possible time.