b23hqb
Well-Known Member
.....about some of the proceedings.
Today, I attended another funeral (way too many this year), of a catholic gentleman friend/relative of my MIL side of the family. I was asked to be a pall bearer, and humbly accepted the task for Old Freddy. Alfred Corriera, 87, of Fall River MA, was eulogized at a mass, I guess it would be a full mass? Freddy was a veteran of the USN in WWII, doing his time on a destroyer patrolling the North Atlantic from 1941 - 1945. He was a fine, upstanding man, and I was proud to know him and his wife Doris. The funeral service was preceeded by a USN Honor Guard outside the church, with a sailor rendering a fine Taps on a trumpet. A bagpiper also belted out very moving tunes, including Amazing Grace at the end, which gets to me every time.
Freddy was a first cousin of my MIL, and on the catholic side of the family, while the rest of us are protestants.
1. Before rolling the casket into the worship area, the casket was left in the vestibule in a special area, circular and sort of fenced off?, where only the immediate family stood around. The rest of us were in the church, but could see the process. The priest dipped something into your holy water twice, and used two splashes each time on the coffin. ??????
2. The casket was then placed in front of the pews before the alter. There was a tall candle stick type object at the head of the casket with a candle burning on top. There was a maltese-type cross emblem on the stick, with what I assumed to be a suffering Christ type emblem near to the top. ??????
3. At the beginning of the service, as the priest was talking to the family about Freddy, he said something very close to "Alfred had placed his full hope and faith in Jesus Christ, and believed in Jesus as his savior". I said to myself "Self, that's the way it is. In Jesus and Jesus only, so Freddy, why do you need the catholic church after that?" But that was previous thread numerous times over......
4. During the priest's consecration, or blessing, or whatever your church calls it, of the wafer and cup, in the background there was a sound like a bell or old style phone ring, not loud, but there, that the priest was looking sort of skyward to, and did not bring his head down until it ended. Just curious what it signified, not once but twice.???????
The whole thing took about 50 minutes, with a beautiful rendition of "Ava Maria" by the woman soloist.
Freddie's remains will be cremated and transported by his family back to Fall River for final internment.
Fair winds and following seas, old friend.
Today, I attended another funeral (way too many this year), of a catholic gentleman friend/relative of my MIL side of the family. I was asked to be a pall bearer, and humbly accepted the task for Old Freddy. Alfred Corriera, 87, of Fall River MA, was eulogized at a mass, I guess it would be a full mass? Freddy was a veteran of the USN in WWII, doing his time on a destroyer patrolling the North Atlantic from 1941 - 1945. He was a fine, upstanding man, and I was proud to know him and his wife Doris. The funeral service was preceeded by a USN Honor Guard outside the church, with a sailor rendering a fine Taps on a trumpet. A bagpiper also belted out very moving tunes, including Amazing Grace at the end, which gets to me every time.
Freddy was a first cousin of my MIL, and on the catholic side of the family, while the rest of us are protestants.
1. Before rolling the casket into the worship area, the casket was left in the vestibule in a special area, circular and sort of fenced off?, where only the immediate family stood around. The rest of us were in the church, but could see the process. The priest dipped something into your holy water twice, and used two splashes each time on the coffin. ??????
2. The casket was then placed in front of the pews before the alter. There was a tall candle stick type object at the head of the casket with a candle burning on top. There was a maltese-type cross emblem on the stick, with what I assumed to be a suffering Christ type emblem near to the top. ??????
3. At the beginning of the service, as the priest was talking to the family about Freddy, he said something very close to "Alfred had placed his full hope and faith in Jesus Christ, and believed in Jesus as his savior". I said to myself "Self, that's the way it is. In Jesus and Jesus only, so Freddy, why do you need the catholic church after that?" But that was previous thread numerous times over......
4. During the priest's consecration, or blessing, or whatever your church calls it, of the wafer and cup, in the background there was a sound like a bell or old style phone ring, not loud, but there, that the priest was looking sort of skyward to, and did not bring his head down until it ended. Just curious what it signified, not once but twice.???????
The whole thing took about 50 minutes, with a beautiful rendition of "Ava Maria" by the woman soloist.
Freddie's remains will be cremated and transported by his family back to Fall River for final internment.
Fair winds and following seas, old friend.
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