The Catholic Funeral

A workshop for those who prepare the Catholic funeral liturgy

or support the bereaved at this time

Including the launch of the new guidelines by the Catholic Diocese of Limerick for Music for Catholic Funerals.

Saturday, 13 th October

Woodlands House Hotel, Adare

10 am – 2pm

Book Places are limited at this gathering, so booking is essential

Please call us on 061 400 133, before Friday, 5 th October to confirm your attendance.

Cost A nominal fee of five euros per person can be paid on the day to cover expenses. This includes a copy of the guidelines, and the national guidelines for funeral music.  

Further details:

- Details of the workshop

- Guidelines for funerals  

The Catholic Church has over many centuries developed a rich tradition in its liturgy for funerals. ... It cannot exist in isolation, but rather is part of our faith journey, as individuals and as a community.

Workshop – Adare – 13 th October

You are invited:

Parish – Priests, Representatives of Parish Liturgy groups, Parish Pastoral Councils and/or Parish

bereavement support group’s. In fact, representatives of all those who support the recently bereaved of the parish.

Professionals – Church organists, Soloists, Cantors, Musician’s, etc.

Outline of Gathering

• 10:00 ‘The Catholic funeral & Music Ministry’
• Including the launch of the Diocese of Limerick’s
• new ‘Guidelines for music for Catholic funerals’
• 11:10 Coffee
• 11:30 Workshops
  • Preparing Church music for funerals
  • Liturgical, Pastoral and Musical judgement in the Funeral Rite. With resources and support.
  • Supporting our recently Bereaved
  • Parish pastoral care for family and community.
• 12:40 Open forum to look at the implications of the new
• guidelines, and issues arising in terms of parish
• pastoral care for the bereaved.
• Closing Liturgy
• 13:30 Lunch is not included, but is available in the hotel
• for those who wish to remain

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept …
How can we sing the songs of the Lord (Psalm 137)

Guidelines for the role of music

in the Catholic Funeral Rite.

The music at funerals should support, console, and uplift the participants and should help to create in them a spirit of hope in Christ’s victory over death and in the Christian’s share in that victory. This is the challenge which musicians, celebrants and the bereaved face in preparing to celebrate with dignity the Funeral Rites of a Christian

At the request of various agencies of the diocese of Limerick; the Diocesan Liturgy Commission has prepared new guidelines for music ministry at Catholic funerals in this diocese. These guidelines were approved by Bishop Murray in September 2007 and will be launched on Saturday, 13 th October at The Woodlands house Hotel, Adare.

Every effort is being made to ensure that all parishes, all priests, and all professionals involved in music ministry or bereavement support are informed of these new guidelines.

The Diocesan Liturgy Commission endeavours to be representative, listening and pro-active in supporting those involved in liturgical ministry in this diocese. Therefore we welcome all dialogue, all suggestions, all support. Please fell welcome to contact us at

Diocesan Liturgy Commission

Limerick Diocesan Pastoral Centre, St Michaels Courtyard, Denmark St, Limerick

We meet in the second Monday of each month, September – May.

“To console those who are mourning with the hope ...

of Christ who is our “life and our resurrection”

(From ‘Celebrating the Catholic funeral’,

November 2003. the National

Centre for Liturgy, Maynooth)