"At the death of a Christian, whose life of faith 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. The Church also ministers to the sorrowing and consoles them in the funeral rites with the comforting Word of God and the Sacrament of the Eucharist." Order of Christian Funerals, no. 4

     If you have recently experienced the death of a loved one, please know that we at St. Michael’s share your grief and wishes to convey our hope.  As part of our bereavement journey, St. Michael the Archangel would like to assist the family by providing the source material of scripture, music, and ritual material to pre-plan the funeral rites.  Pre-planning the funeral provides the family an opportunity to prayerfully plan the funeral of their deceased loved one.  

     The scripture readings and music are those that are approved for Catholic funerals.  Please take time to reflect on them; the readings can be reviewed by clicking on the links below.  Selections can be based on you and your loved one’s life experiences and your personal relationship with God.  A planning sheet is also provided to record your choices.   The planning sheet can be brought with you when you meet with the funeral liaison at the parish office to schedule the funeral rites.

     If you have questions as you work through the materials or when you are ready to schedule a meeting with the funeral liaison, please call Idania Kessler at (727) 797-2375.

• SCRIPTURE (Either one or two readings may be read before the Gospel. If two readings are chosen, one should be from the Old Testament and the other from the New Testament. 
  • Old Testament  (First Reading)
  • Easter Time (Only these New Testament readings may be selected as the First Reading during Easter Time)
  • Psalm
  • New Testament  (Second Reading)
  • Gospel (The Gospel reading will be selected and read by the celebrant)

• MUSIC - Music can be previewed by clicking on the Hymn Title.  Click on the back arrow to return to the list of hymns.  NOTE: There are 3 pages of hymns to choose from.

     Upon completing the form, you may return it to the Parish Office or bring it with you when you attend your scheduled meeting with the parish funeral liaison. 

     Also, the completed form can be saved to your personal computer and attached to an email addressed to St. Michael's (Please call the office for the email address).