"At the death of a Christian, whose life of faith was begun in the waters of Baptism and strengthened at the Eucharistic table, the Church intercedes on behalf of the deceased because of its confident belief that death is not the end, nor does it break the bonds forged in life. The Church also ministers to the sorrowing and consoles them in the funeral rites with the comforting Word of God and the Sacrament of the Eucharist."                                                                                                                                                         --Order of Christian Funerals, no. 4 

The funeral liturgy tells us that life is changed, not ended.  Funerals are acts of faith.  Jesus, who walks with us through all our other events in life, is present at our funerals, the liturgy of the passage from death to eternal life.

Following are a few resources that may help you better understand the flow and structure of the Catholic funeral rite. The Church also provides a number of prayers for the faithful to offer both to accompany the dying loved one and to strengthen our faith upon their death. Through private prayer and public funeral rites, we strengthen our faith and hope, comfort those who mourn and bury the bodily remains of the deceased with care befitting what was the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

RESOURCES

Bereavement and Funerals

"To Rise with Christ" - Instruction regarding the burial of the dead and conservation of the ashes in the case of cremation

Cremation and the Order of Christian Funerals

Guidelines for the Building and Renovation of Churches in the Diocese of Belleville

pdf Guidelines for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion(94 KB)
Guidelines for the Ministry of Cantor
Guidelines for the Ministry of Lector
Guidelines for Altar Servers 
Purification of Vessels
These Guidelines were prepared by the Office of Worship, Diocese of Belleville