Affordable Dignified send-off

Home / Blog / 3 Major Parts of Christian Funeral Rites
catholic christian funeral services

3 Major Parts of Christian Funeral Rites

According to Christian belief, a person will proceed to paradise, hell, or purgatory after death. It all depends upon their deeds and beliefs. If a person is exceptional, they will have the honour to proceed for heaven. On the other side, depending on the severity of a person’s misdeeds, they will go to purgatory to serve punishment and repent or go to hell!

The Christian funeral service purpose is to allow church officials to execute the religious procedure properly. Besides, they are also responsible for remembering and celebrating the deceased soul’s life through hymns and prayers.

Every religious group will find funeral procedures similar. But there are many notable differences you will find between Protestants and Catholics. If you still have any doubts, it would be best to seek help from a spiritual leader. The Christian funeral ceremony is divided into three parts for Protestants and Catholics:

  • The Vigil
  • The Funeral or Rite of Committal
  • The Reception or Wake

You will notice these three main crucial parts in the funeral ceremony!

The Christian Vigil

When a Christian person passes, whether at home or a hospital in Singapore, you will need professional medical assistance to certify the death. If required, a pastor or minister will perform the ceremony for a patient on their deathbed.

The family members will clean and prepare the body. Then they will take the body to the funeral hall or home for the vigil. At this time, the family members will need to decide on the place for the funeral. They can choose the venue, whether it’s a home, church or funeral home. Besides, you can consult with a minister who recorded the deceased person’s preferences for songs and prayers.

Before starting the funeral, the vigil in which all the close ones will gather to honour the soul through prayers, hymns, and remembrances. The atmosphere at that time will be happier because people will honour the lives of the deceased in heaven. During this time, the church or funeral home will take care of arrangements like chairs and refreshments.

In the end, the coffin arrives at the venue, and the funeral service begins. The funeral will usually be held on the third day. When the family and friends are welcome to stop at the funeral home, it marks the beginning of the Christian funeral ceremony!

The Christian Funeral Service

In a Christian funeral service, everyone who attends the funeral will pay their respects to the deceased person in their casket. This service can easily continue anywhere from a few hours to some days. Protestants arrange the sessions, including psalm reading, hymn singing, and prayer song, which are chosen by the deceased or family.

Catholics emphasize rituals in which they brief and postpone eulogies immediately until the rite of committal before the person’s cremation or burial. They also prefer to arrange a funeral liturgy in a funeral mass place. The former, prayer and holy communions, are present at the time when the mourners receive the body in the casket. The deceased person prepares the body during the ritual process at the location.

At this time, religious leaders are free to sermon. In addition, anyone is welcome to attend the ceremony at any time. It’s a good manner if you leave when a sermon, prayer, or hymn song is well over.

When the Rite of Committal is about to start, the family members choose the pastor or minister to lead the prayers. They will accompany the coffin to the last resting place, such as the crematorium or graveyard. Singapore has one cemetery- Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Complex and one non-denominational cremation- Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium Complex. The priest and minister will start the final rites, and Catholics will speak the eulogy before the body is buried!

Christian Wake Service

The family members arrange a reception or wake. It is similar to the vigil; the less solemn event organizes publicly so anyone can come and give condolences and praise to the deceased. Again, they constantly do prayers and hymns, but this ceremony provides light fare.

Visitors must remember some things to perform when they visit. They should avoid bright colours clothes and prefer to wear navy and black colour clothes. You must give gifts like food, flowers, and cards to the family members.

After 40 days of mourning, Christians will arrange a memorial service. This can be a private or invitation-only event in which they perform similar activities and provide refreshments just like the wake. At this point, the whole Christian funeral liturgy ends here!

The professionals who have immense knowledge about the memorial funeral will assist you with your needs and prepare you for a Christian funeral.

Conclusion

At the time of the funeral, we are not able to make a decision and select things for the funeral ceremony. This is where you should take support from the funeral company. Singapore Bereavement Planners is recognized as the leading funeral agency in Singapore. Our planners are quite professional, skilful, and proficient in taking care of everything. We arrange all the things to ensure the funeral process will go smoothly without any hassle.

If there is anything related to Christian Funeral Service and Christian Wake Service you want to discuss so, you can easily connect with our team!

Open chat
Hello

How can we assist you?
Reply to us to receive a list of items you will need to prepare for the funeral arrangement.