Baptism Baptism marks one as disciple and welcomes one into a community of believers. With this in mind, it is important for parents and godparents to understand what baptism means for their child and how they can raise their child in the Catholic faith. In preparation for infant Baptism, parents are required to attend one workshop which explains the Sacrament of Baptism and offers pointers on how to raise your child Catholic. For dates and times please call the parish office at 783-2748. Marriage The Diocese of Lansing has adopted a policy for marriage preparation which includes making arrangements at least nine months in advance. Preparation for marriage includes meeting with a priest, a married couple, a retreat, communication classes and faith formation classes. Marriage Preparation The people of Queen's Parish share your joy! The celebration of marriage is a sacramental commitment, made in the setting of a faith community. Marriage is personal since you will pledge yourselves to each other in a lasting union. But also, in marriage you ask for the support of your family, friends, and the whole Christian community. As such, the marriage ceremony is a public one in which all participating not only offer you their help but also praise God for God's very presence in your union as husband and wife. A wedding ceremony in the Catholic Church is a memorable and joyful religious experience for all. Because we recognize the role the Christian community plays in your marriage, we offer you the following guidelines for marriage preparation at Queen's Parish. Please feel welcome to call the parish office (783-2748) with your questions or concerns. To set a date you most meet with a priest or deacon to fill out the appropriate paperwork. Please get in contact with us before you rent the hall or make any other preparations. Until you meet with one of us we will not schedule a wedding date!!! If a couple is planning to get married in the Church and either of them have had any previous marriage they must receive an annulment before they may set a wedding date. Planning the Wedding Ceremony THE WEDDING CEREMONY Weddings are celebrated on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., and on Friday evenings. The rehearsal is scheduled with the officiating priest or deacon for the evening prior to the wedding. Friday evening weddings take precedence over rehearsal for Saturday weddings. Couples often choose to make an offering for use of our parish facilities, as well as the preparation materials for the wedding. This may be paid by check to Queen’s Parish. A gift for the presiding priest or deacon is also something you may wish to consider. WEDDING PRESIDER Ordinarily, a priest or deacon from Queen’s Parish will officiate at your wedding. A priest or deacon who is a relative or good friend of the couple may be delegated by the pastor at Queen’s to officiate at your wedding. In interfaith marriages, clergy from other denominations are welcome to assist in the celebration. WEDDING LITURGY The book, “Together for Life” will be given to you to assist you in choosing scripture readings and prayers for your wedding liturgy. Your selections should be given to the officiating clergy at least one week before the wedding ceremony, along with the marriage license. The marriage liturgy may be a Mass (when both partners are Catholic) or a scripture service outside of Mass (preferred when one party is not Catholic). MUSIC There is much beautiful music speaking of God and Christ in married life; of the joy and beauty of marriage; of the Christian significance of the special day. Couples should contact the wedding music coordinator, Mrs. Lynn Kotcher for wedding music guidelines (you can get her phone number from the parish office). She is happy to help you plan your music selections and locate musicians. Fees for musicians vary, and are payable in advance of the ceremony. FLOWERS Flowers may be used to enhance the wedding celebration, but should not distract form its significance. Flowers may be placed on the floor in front of the altar, or on the candelabra against the wall. It is not appropriate to place flowers on the altar or ambo. Flowers during the penitential seasons, especially Lent, are to be kept to a minimum. It may be well to see if there are other weddings scheduled for the same weekend, so that flowers expenses could be shared, if the parties desire. We welcome you to leave the flowers in the church as a donation for the weekend liturgies. A white aisle runner is not essential, since the church is carpeted. However, if you choose to have a runner, it may be helpful to know that the main aisle of our church is 100 feet long. PHOTOGRAPHY Queens Parish is first and foremost a church, a place of worship. Photographers must be mindful that a wedding is a sacred and sacramental celebration and thus they are not to be a distraction to the ceremony. Pictures are important remembrances and we allow them to be taken throughout the liturgy, as long as it is done in good taste and does not interfere with the celebration. Videotaping is permitted, but the video camera is to remain stationary and may not block the aisle. Photographers are prohibited in the sanctuary during the wedding liturgy. Pictures in the sanctuary before or after the liturgy are limited to 30 minutes. DETAILS FOR THE WEDDING CEREMONY We suggest that you reserve the custom of signing a guest book for your reception, since it delays the start of the wedding ceremony. We do not permit the use of rose petals down the main aisle, rice, confetti, birdseed, or any similar materials on the church premises, including the entrances to church. It is an unsafe practice because of the danger of injury and the difficulty in maintenance. Thank you for cooperating! CHURCH DECORUM A bride’s room is available in the vestibule of church. You are asked to leave that room and the church in the condition you find it. Please designate someone to clean the bride’s room and the church before leaving. AFTER THE WEDDING After you have settled into your new home, please make every effort to register at Queen’s Parish, if you will be living in Jackson, or at your local parish if you will be residing elsewhere. Become actively involved in your parish. The community of faith needs your presence and participation on a regular basis. |
Funerals As you begin to plan either a loved one’s funeral or you are pre-planning your own there are a few things to consider. First of all is the type of service to have. First is the Vigil Service. The vigil for the deceased, as found in the The Order of Christian Funerals, is the principal rite celebrated by the Christian community in the time following death and before the funeral liturgy. This is in the form of a Scripture Service and allows our non-Catholic brothers and sisters an opportunity to participate. If your family has a devotion to Mary and wishes to pray the Rosary, this can be facilitated at any time during the visitation by a family member; it need not be a priest, deacon or religious. Second is the Funeral Service. The Church would prefer to always have a funeral and burial with a body. However, if for some reason the family chooses cremation, we would prefer that cremation takes place after the Funeral Liturgy. We understand that society is changing with its views on death and some might choose to have their body cremated as soon as possible after death; this is still another option that might be chosen. If this option were chosen, we would ask that you would at least have the cremated remains at the church for the funeral. We would like to highlight that without a body or the cremated remains of the body we are NOT celebrating a funeral, we are only celebrating a memorial Mass. To put it succinctly in order of preference: 1. Funeral Rites with the presence and burial of the body. 2. Funeral Rites with the presence of the body and cremation after the Funeral Rites. 3. Funeral Rites with the presence of the cremated body. 4. Memorial Mass (which is NOT a Funeral). If cremation is chosen, the Catholic Church holds that the ashes should be given the same respect as a body, not only before and during the Funeral Rites, but also in the appropriate placement of the ashes. Scattering them or placing them in a home is not a reverent manner of placement. They should be buried in a grave or entombed (in a mausoleum or a columbarium) and marked with a headstone or plaque. The Funeral service can be with Mass or outside of Mass. If the deceased is a practicing Catholic the service should be with Mass. We will not a have a Mass at the Funeral Home under any circumstances. All Funerals should have music, and you should ask the funeral director to call and arrange a singer and organist for the Funeral Liturgy. The Order of Christian Funerals: appendix-cremation (1997): 413. Although cremation is now permitted by the Church, it does not enjoy the same value as burial of the body. The Church clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for the funeral rites, since the presence of the human body better expresses the values the Church affirms in those rites. 426. By virtue of an indult granted by the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the celebration of the Funeral Liturgy, including Mass, in the presence of the cremated remains of the body of a deceased person is permitted in the dioceses of the United States of America. 417. 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, the care and attention to appropriated placement and transport, and the final disposition. The cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium. The practice of scattering cremated remains in the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires. Whenever possible, appropriate means for recording with dignity the memory of the deceased should be adopted, such as a plaque or stone which records the name of the deceased.
Dealing with miscarriage or still birth? Information may be found here.
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