General
"Music is integral to the funeral rites. It allows the community to express convictions and feelings that words alone may fail to convey. It has power to console and uplift the mourners and to strengthen the unity of the assembly in faith and love. The texts of songs chosen for a particular celebration should express the paschal mystery of the Lord’s suffering, death, and triumph over death and should be related to the readings from Scripture.
Since music can evoke strong feelings, the music for the celebration rites should be chosen with great care. The music at funerals should support, console, and uplift the participants and should help to create in them a spirit of hope in Christ’s victory over death and in the Christian’s share in the victory.
Music should be provided for the funeral liturgy. The specific notes that precede each of these rites suggest places in the rites where music is appropriate. Many musical settings used by the parish community during the liturgical year may be suitable for use at funerals. Efforts should be made to develop and expand the parish’s repertoire for use at funerals.
An organist or other instrumentalist, a cantor, and whenever possible, even a choir should assist the assembly’s full participation in singing the songs, responses, and acclamations of these rites" (Order of Christian Funerals: General Introduction, 30-33).
Specific to St. Martin de Porres
Because music has such a dignified place within the funeral liturgies, at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church we presume that our pianist and cantor will be assisting at each funeral, please see Funeral Policies and Procedures for further details. Guest musicians or cantors will be considered at the family’s request and could be incorporated into the funeral liturgy according to specific abilities and preferences of each musician or cantor.
The following are lists of music suitable to Catholic Funeral Liturgies. Music not appearing on these lists will be considered on an individual basis, and recorded music is never appropriate for Catholic liturgy.
Funeral Music:
Hymns
All Creatures of Our God and King
Alleluia! Sing to Jesus
Amazing Grace
Be Not Afraid
Blest Are They
By All Your Saints Still Striving
Crown Him with Many Crowns
Eagle Wings
For All the Saints
Holy God We Praise Thy Name
Holy, Holy, Holy
How Firm a Foundation
I Am the Bread of Life
I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
I Know that My Redeemer Lives
In Every Age
Jerusalem, My Happy Home
Jesus Christ is Risen Today
Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
Lift High the Cross
Lord of All Hopefulness
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
O God our Help in Ages Past
Shelter Me O God
Sing with All the Saints in Glory
Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God
The Church’s One Foundation
The King of Love My Shepherd Is
There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy
Though the Mountains May Fall
To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King
We Walk by Faith
What Wondrous Love is This
You Are Mine
Solos
Ave Maria (Gounod or Schubert)
Response Psalms
Psalm 23: Shepherd Me, O God
Psalm 25: To You, O Lord
Psalm 27: The Lord is My Light
Psalm 63: Your Love is Finer than…
Psalm 91: All Who Dwell…
Psalm 103: The Lord is Kind and …
Psalm 130: With the Lord there is…