We are sorry for your loss and understand the pain of losing a loved one. The sadness of death should give way in our liturgy to the promise of resurrected life. A celebration of a person’s life reflects our conviction that in Jesus Christ we have life beyond life.

If you have experienced the death of a loved one, we, at Church of St Patrick would like to express our deepest sympathies to you and your family. 

Our Catholic faith teaches us, through the resurrection of Jesus, to mourn with great hope. Still, grieving the death of a loved one is a traumatic experience that takes time and must be fully processed. 

When we grieve, no one can understand the depth of our loss, but please know that you are not alone. We are here to help you prepare for the next few days leading up to the funeral liturgy, as well as support you as you mourn in the weeks and months ahead.

The death of someone close to us, expected or unexpected, is always  difficult. 

Our staff is here to help, please contact our Parish Office at:

941-378-1703

The Church of Saint Patrick is pleased to offer its parishioners and friends the complete rites as a means of consolation for the living, and grace-filled assistance for the deceased. The Rite of Christian Burial at the Church of Saint Patrick is usually limited to Catholic parishioners and to those with significant ties to the Parish. We will do our best to schedule the Mass at the time most convenient for the family, depending on clergy and church availability. A Funeral Mass, Memorial Mass or Graveside Prayer Service is arranged, depending on your needs. The first step to take when planning a funeral liturgy is to call our Parish Office to discuss the details.We invite you to take part in the planning process or we can plan the entire service for you. 

We have provided for you a Funeral Planning Guide that can be downloaded and prepared before meeting with us.

Funeral Planning Guide Click Here

Parish Office 941-378-1703, ext. 300 

The Grief & Bereavement

Support Group is here for you in your time of loss.

Our support group meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 9:00 AM in out Parish Hall.

We also host a Remembrance Mass on the second Tuesday of each month at 8:00 AM in the Chapel. Candles are lit in memory of loved ones.

For information or to speak with someone contact :

Linda & Howard Robertson

617-605-6829

Most tend to think that if we ask for help, 

it is a sign of weakness. 

So we try to keep our struggles hidden, stuffed deep inside. However, that’s not God’s plan. 

Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” 

God wants us to care for others - and allow others to care for us in our time of need.

If you’re sad or struggling inside, don’t suffer alone. 

Ask for help. We’ve got a team of Stephen Ministers who are ready to listen, care, encourage, pray, and help you through a tough time. (It’s confidential.) 

Our Stephen Ministers Are Here To Care!

CONTACT

DONNA COHEN  

941-447-6689

KDCOHEN98@YAHOO.COM

If you are a veteran, you and your spouse may be eligible for burial in a national cemetery. Find out more by contacting the Sarasota National Cemetery or visiting their website to see if you are eligible.

Graveside prayer services are available.

Your Funeral Director will coordinate Military Honors for you upon request.

The Sarasota National Cemetery s located at:

9810 State Road 72, Sarasota, FL 34241

PHONE: 877-861-9840 or 941-922-7200

Fax: 941-922-3457

WEBSITE: https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/sarasota.asp

An Overview of Catholic Funeral Rites

The Catholic funeral rite is divided into several stations, or parts, each with its own purpose. For this reason we recommend following the complete structure and making use of each station.

Vigil Service (Wake)

"At the vigil, the Christian community keeps watch with the family in prayer to the God of mercy and finds strength in Christ's presence." (Order of Christian Funerals, no. 56). The Vigil Service usually takes place during the period of visitation and viewing at the funeral home. It is a time to remember the life of the deceased and to commend him/her to God. In prayer we ask God to console us in our grief and give us strength to support one another.

The Vigil Service can take the form of a Service of the Word with readings from Sacred Scripture accompanied by reflection and prayers. It can also take the form of one of the prayers of the Office for the Dead from the Liturgy of the Hours. The Clergy and your funeral director can assist in planning such service.

It is most appropriate, when family and friends are gathered together for visitation, to offer time for recalling the life of the deceased. For this reason, eulogies are usually encouraged to be done at the funeral home during visitation or at the Vigil Service.

Funeral Liturgy

The funeral liturgy is the central liturgical celebration of the Christian community for the deceased. When one of its members dies, the Church encourages the celebration of the funeral liturgy at a Mass. When Mass cannot be celebrated, a funeral liturgy outside Mass can be celebrated at the Church or in the funeral home.

At the funeral liturgy, the Church gathers with the family and friends of the deceased to give praise and thanks to God for Christ's victory over sin and death, to commend the deceased to God's tender mercy and compassion, and to seek strength in the proclamation of the Paschal Mystery. The funeral liturgy, therefore, is an act of worship, and not merely an expression of grief.

Rite of Committal (Burial or Interment) 

The Rite of Committal, the conclusion of the funeral rite, is the final act of the community of faith in caring for the body of its deceased member. It should normally be celebrated at the place of committal, that is, beside the open grave or place of interment. In committing the body to its resting place, the community expresses the hope that, with all those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, the deceased awaits the glory of the resurrection.

The Rite of Committal is an expression of the communion that exists between the Church on earth and the Church in heaven: the deceased passes with the farewell prayers of the community of believers into the welcoming company of those who need faith no longer, but see God face-to-face.  

Our Memorial Garden was created to remember and honor our loved ones.

The Garden is beautiful, and a fitting memorial to those who have loved and supported this church and would like to stay and be a part of this community into eternity.