FUNERAL ACOLYTE GUIDELINES Prepare one ciborium with enough hosts for the funeral. Check with coordinator for amount. BEFORE MASS If there are gift bearers place the carafe and ciborium on the small Arrive at least 20 minutes before the service credence table. Otherwise, leave them on the Credence Table.
Check the Funeral Set Up Sheet for any special instructions. Check to see which priest is saying the Mass. Instructions for altar servers will be on the back of the sheet Prepare the celebrant’s chalice. before “Notes”. Guidelines are in the Sacristy on the wall. These instructions will tell you who the celebrant is,how many Place the Celebrant’s Chalice, cruet of water, lavabo, pitcher and host stations are needed, if we are using cup stations and how towel on the Altar Servers Credence Table. many times the incense will be used. Get the Pall from the hangar and robe for the service. If there are gift bearers the gifts are placed on the Offertory Table in the middle of the church. If there is an urn it will be placed on the table in front of the altar and no pall is required. If there are no readers indicated on the set up sheet you may be required to do the readings. Check the Set Up sheet. Get the Holy Water pot from the safe in the Sacristy and the processional cross and bring them to the Vesting Room. Ask the coordinator or celebrant if we need Eucharistic Ministers. Fill the pot with water from the container in the Gathering Space. You may be required to take a host or cup position.
Place and light the Easter Candle in front of the altar. PROCESSION
Get the Incense stand from the bathroom in the Sacristy. You should be standing in the Gathering space with the holy The thurible is in the top drawer with the incense. water, processional cross and the pall when the funeral cortege Place 2 charcoals in the thurible. arrives. The charcoal is in the drawer under the incense drawer. Make sure that the boat has incense in it. The priest will say the Opening Prayer and sprinkle the casket Start the charcoal and place incense stand in the Sanctuary near with the holy water. The holy water pot should be left in the the Tabernacle. Vesting room after it is used for use after mass. Keep matches on the stand in case you need them. Check the set up sheet to see how many times the celebrant will The funeral directors or family will place the pall over the casket. be using the incense. The general rule is that the celebrant will only incense at the end You will then take the cross and lead the procession into the however some may wish to incense during the Offertory. church.
If we are having cups prepare the small carafe of wine with about If there is an urn it will already be in the church and the family 1 cup of wine. will not be part of the procession. Place 2 cups and 2 purificators on the Credence Table. In that case, the holy water pot should be next to the table holding Unless specified we will only give out the hosts, not the wine in the urn. which case you would only put a very small amount of wine in the carafe for the celebrant. If you are to be the lector you will go to the ambo as soon as the cups and purificators on the Credence Table. priest sits down after the welcoming prayer. Bring the water cruet to the celebrant so that he can purify his Remain at the ambo during the singing of the psalm. Wait a chalice. Return the cruet to the credence table then go back to the moment after the psalm before beginning the second reading. altar for the Priest’s Chalice which you will take to the credence table.
The priest will incense after the final prayer, therefore one server should remain in the Sanctuary to prepare the incense while the OFFERTORY other takes the processional cross and walks down to the main aisle in back of the casket. Place the Roman Missal on the altar. After returning the incense to the stand the server then joins the Get the celebrant’s chalice, ciboria and carafe from the Credence cross bearer. Table and place them on the altar. After everyone has left the church you must clean up the If there are gift bearers go with the priest to receive the vessels of Sanctuary. bread and wine which you will place on the altar. The Tabernacle key must be returned to the safe. If there are two servers one should go to the Tabernacle side to do the incense and one should go to the Credence table side. The thurible must be emptied and put back into the drawer. The stand should be returned to the bathroom. Get the water cruet (and carafe of wine if it is there) and bring it to the celebrant. Return the processional cross to its stand. Return them to the credence table after the priest uses them. Put the empty, dried Holy Water pot back in the safe. Get the thurible, make sure that the charcoal is lit, get the boat and bring them to the celebrant. Lock the safe door.
After incensing, the pitcher of water, towel and lavabo should be Put the Easter Candle (after it has cooled) back next to the taken to the celebrant to wash hands. Baptismal Font.
SIGN OF PEACE Return the pall to the sacristy and place it on the appropriate hangar. Remove the Roman Missal from the altar.
September 2011 COMMUNION
If we used cups then after communion go to the credence table to consume any of the Precious Blood that remains and leave the