Parish Ossuary

Parish Ossuary

In 1997 permission was granted for Catholic parishes to celebrate the funeral liturgy with cremated remains present. While a white pall is not used in the funeral liturgy with cremated remains, a suitable and handsomely designed ossuary may be used. It is a hand-crafted receptacle (in our parish, it is made of solid oak, stained and decorated with Gothic tracery - as found in our windows, etc.). The funeral urn or box is placed inside by the funeral director or family members at the beginning of the liturgy. The ossuary is then taken to the church door at the conclusion of the liturgy and the urn removed by family or the funeral director. In use in Europe for many years, the custom is fairly new to the United Sates but growing as more Catholics choose cremation. An ossuary assures that all are given their rightful dignity during the funeral liturgy and we highly recommend its use. We are grateful to the Sanctuary Sodality for this beautiful gift.

From the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:

"The cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the human body from which they come. This includes the use of a worthy vessel to contain the ashes, the manner in which they are carried, and the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition. The cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium."