LEWISTON — Fr. Daniel Greenleaf, pastor of Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston, and Jim Boulet from Maine Catholic Cemeteries welcome all to a special gathering on Thursday, Nov. 17, that aims to provide information on planning funerals and burials as Catholics. The event will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. in the hall of Holy Family Church on 607 Sabattus Street in Lewiston. The event will also be livestreamed at www.princeofpeace.me and on the Prince of Peace social media platforms.
“Many practicing Catholics realize that their children might not know how to celebrate a Catholic funeral and burial, especially if they are not practicing Catholics,” said Fr. Greenleaf. “Pre-planning the Catholic funeral Mass and burial takes the burden off of other family members and guarantees that a Catholic will have all the Catholic prayers and practices one would want as a Catholic.”
The gathering will cover how to preplan a funeral and burial to ensure all of the rituals of a Catholic funeral are ensured.
“Today, many people think a Catholic funeral is like a celebration of life, but it is really about praying for the soul of the deceased person. We also pray for the people who remain, but the focus is really on the soul of the person entering eternal life,” said Fr. Greenleaf.
The Diocese of Portland also offers Three Beliefs (www.portlanddiocese.org/cemeteries-funerals/three-beliefs), a guide for Maine Catholics that offers valuable assistance and information regarding end-of-life issues. Three Beliefs is produced by the Diocese of Portland and includes an explanation of Catholic teaching on life-sustaining treatment and care, an introductory letter from Bishop Robert Deeley, a helpful FAQ section, and more.
“Making the difficult choices surrounding end-of-life medical care and sharing them with family and friends now can ensure that your beliefs about the sanctity of human life, the appropriateness of medical care, and the dignity of the dying process are known in advance so they can be met in the future,” said Bishop Deeley. “Oftentimes, simply having the discussion ahead of time can avoid difficult deliberations by next of kin. Your own expressed wishes will be able to guide their decisions.”
For more information about the event, contact Prince of Peace Parish at 207-777-1200.
