A typical Catholic funeral program will have one theme running throughout the entire program: The cross. The Catholic church holds the cross to be sacred and represents Christ's death on the cross for all humanity. By displaying the cross prominently on a funeral program, the idea is conveyed that Christ's death has been applied to save the eternal life of the deceased. He/she can only be saved through the grace of Christ. By displaying the cross prominently, grievers are reminded that this is the case and are comforted in the fact that the deceased is saved in Christ.
A Catholic funeral program will generally include the following elements:
- Readers of first and second readings
- Readers of General Intercessions (Prayers of the Faithful) (if desired, the priest or cantor can read these)
- Pall bearers
- Gift bearers (to present the bread and wine at offertory)
- Alter servers (if applicable; normally these are provided by the parish)
- Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
After reading this article, take a look at my article on selecting a
Funeral Program Theme.
