Ceremonies Explained for Servers: A Manual for Altar Servers, Acolytes, Sacristans, and Masters of Ceremonies by Peter J. Elliot

Author:Peter J. Elliot [Elliot, Peter J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Spirituality & Religion
ISBN: 9781642291025
Publisher: Ignatius Press
Published: 2020-01-16T16:00:00+00:00

4. Prayers at the Grave

623. The rite of Christian burial may be of a simple form, depending on circumstances. What is described below is an ideal situation—for example, when those who served the funeral Mass are able to assist at the grave. The same procedures are followed for the Christian burial or placing of ashes after a cremation. The ashes are treated in exactly the same respectful way as the body of a deceased person, that is, the ashes are permanently set in a blessed place where people may come and visit and pray. Ashes may never be scattered about or kept at home.

624. Preparations. Unless the funeral procession moves directly from the church to the grave, vestments, robes, and liturgical equipment are brought to the cemetery. The following objects are required: vestments, for the celebrant, amice, alb, cincture or soutane, and surplice, stole, and cope, of the color of funerals; for an assisting deacon, amice, alb, cincture stole, and dalmatic (if available), or soutane, surplice, and stole, robes for servers, the cross and candles, prepared thurible and boat with incense, holy-water bucket and sprinkler with water, the ritual.

625. On arrival at the cemetery, servers vest and prepare the candles and incense. They should be ready with the celebrant to meet the car, or, if they traveled in the funeral procession by car, they proceed immediately to the hearse, forming up for the procession in the order outlined above as in the church. All face the car while the casket is taken from it. All turn and proceed, once the bearers have raised the casket for the procession to the grave or vault.

626. If it is possible to stand on all sides of the grave, the cross bearer and candle bearers stand at the head of the grave. The celebrant (deacon, M.C., acolyte), book bearer, holy-water bearer, and thurifer stand at the foot of the grave. The book bearer attends on the celebrant’s left. An assisting deacon stands on the celebrant’s right, with the thurifer and holy-water bearer farther to the right slightly behind him or facing across. The positions are the same as for the Final Commendation and Farewell. Relatives, other mourners, and funeral attendants sit or stand on each side of the grave.

627. If it is not possible to gather around the grave, as for example if the body is to be interred in a wall vault, the cross bearer and candle bearers move to the right side as the casket is brought to the vault, and they may best form up behind the celebrant, all facing the casket or vault for the prayers.

628. If the grave has not been blessed, after the blessing prayer, the thurifer approaches the celebrant and incense is blessed as usual. The thurifer steps aside with the thurible and waits while the holy-water bearer approaches the celebrant, who sprinkles the body and the grave or vault. The holy water bearer steps aside, the thurifer gives the thurible to the celebrant (deacon, M.C., acolyte), and the grave or vault is incensed.

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