When planning for a funeral liturgy, contact St. Luke Rectory at 215-572-0128.
The parish arranges for the organist, cantor, and altar servers. The parish may also arrange for volunteer lectors, if the family wishes.
The stipend for the Church is usually $300.00 for parishioners and $400.00 for others. The Church may be used for viewings for an additional fee of $100.00. The fee for the organist and cantor is $150.00 each. The stipend is $15.00 for each of the two altar servers. (The funeral director usually handles all fees.)
The Church may be used for viewings. If you wish, flowers may be left as a memorial at the altar (outside of Lent). Memorial gifts may be made to the St. Luke the Evangelist Church Sanctuary Fund.
There are two options for a Funeral at Church:
Funeral Mass or Funeral Liturgy without Mass
The family may choose two readings from the Lectionary for Mass, usually, one reading from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament for the Liturgy of the Word. During the Easter Season (the fifty days from Easter Sunday until Pentecost Sunday) both readings should be from the New Testament; the first from the books of the Acts of the Apostles or Revelation. The homilist will choose the Gospel reading.
Suggested New Testament Readings for Easter Season
Acts of the Apostles 10:34-43Suggested New Testament Readings
Romans 5:5-11
...Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 5:17-21
...so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all....
Romans 6:3-9
...we shall also be united with him in the resurrection....
Romans 6:3-4, 8-9
...If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him....
Romans 8:14-23
...The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,...
Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39
If God is for us, who can be against us?...
Romans 14:7-9, 10c-12
...For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s....
1 Corinthians 15:20-28
...For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,...
1 Corinthians 15:20-23
...For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,...
1 Corinthians 15:51-57
Behold, I tell you a mystery, We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed...
2 Corinthians 4:14 - 5:1
...For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.
2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-10
...for we walk by faith, not by sight...
Philippians 3:20-21
Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ....
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
...For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep....
2 Timothy 2:8-13
... If we have died with him we shall also live with him;...
1 John 3:1-2
...Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed....
1 John 3:14-16
We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers.
Revelation 14:13
...Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on...
Revelation 20:11 - 21:1
....Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Revelation 21:1-5a, 6b-7
...He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain...
Music for Funerals
Recommended Hymns for Funerals
Abide With MeAs The Deer Longs (Psalm 42)
Be With Me Lord (Psalm 91) (Joncas)
For You Are My God (Psalm 16) (Foley)
How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place (Psalm 84) (DeBruyn)
The King of Love My Shepherd Is (Psalm 23)
Like A Child Rests (Psalm 131)
Lord, You Have the Words (Psalm 19) (Joncas)
The Lord Is My Light (Psalm 27) (DeBruyn)
Morning Psalm (Psalm 63) (Joncas)
My Shepherd, Lord (Psalm 23)
O God, For You I Long (Psalm 42) (Farrell)
O God, You Search Me (Psalm 139) (Farrell)
Only in God (Psalm 62) (Talbot)
Shelter Me, O God (Psalm 16, 61) (Hurd)
Shepherd Me, O God (Psalm 23) (Haugen)
This Alone (Psalm 27) (Manion)
To You, O Lord (Psalm 25) (Alstott)
To You, O Lord (Psalm 25) (Soper)
Yes, I Shall Arise (Psalm 27, 43)