Catholic Cemeteries of Central Florida
“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live” John 11:25.
Bishop John Noonan and the Diocese of Orlando are blessed to present the brand-new logo, mission and vision for Catholic Cemeteries of Central Florida.
The vision of Catholic Cemeteries of Central Florida is to accompany, guide and support God’s people within the Catholic Diocese of Orlando from this earthly life to everlasting life.
Mission:
The Church who, as Mother, has borne the Christian sacramentally in her womb during his earthly pilgrimage, accompanies him at his journey’s end, in order to surrender him “into the Father’s hands” (CCC 1683).
- We offer to the Father, in Christ, the child of His grace, and we commit to the earth, in hope, the seed of the body that will rise in glory.
- We praise God with our respect for life through our purposeful actions of dignity and respect of the living and at the time of death.
- We remember the sacredness of this body in death through his or her burial.
- Within the womb of God’s love, we comfort those who mourn.
- Our ministry of prayer continues through eternal life.
The website, http://www.catholiccemeteriescfl.org/, is currently under construction. Please follow Catholic Cemeteries of Central Florida on social media for updates on Queen of Angels Cemetery that will be built adjacent to San Pedro Spiritual Development Center.
Understanding Catholic Funerals
To rise with Christ, we must die with Christ: we must “be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor 5:8).
Pope Francis, Ad resurgendum cum Christo
Many people who attend a Catholic funeral for the first time will often remark how beautiful it is. Steeped in centuries-old custom and ritual as Catholic funeral rites are, that’s understandable.
But the most important aspect about Catholic funerals is that they express the Christian hope in eternal life and the resurrection of the body on the last day. Every component of the Catholic funeral rites should express these fundamental beliefs and hopes. Our funeral rites are not “a celebration of life,” as they are referred to sometimes, but a privileged opportunity to return to God the gift of the deceased, hoping to usher them into paradise with the aid of our prayers. Our love for the departed is expressed after death, above all else, in our prayer for them.
When a loved one dies, those left here to ensure their proper and dignified burial can often get bogged down by all the decisions needing to be made. In that case, we often will miss the opportunity to focus on the faith and hope the Catholic funeral rites express. Bereaved family and friends often will have to make many decisions about their loved one’s funeral, but often may not be fully prepared to do so. Whenever possible, the Church recommends that the family should be involved in planning the funeral rites — from choices of texts and readings to music and liturgical ministers. They may wish to make decisions on some of these components and not on others. They may leave some or all of the decisions up to the parish staff as well.
Click here for a guide meant to explain the Catholic funeral rites and give some guidance on the decisions that will need to be made — in light of Church teachings — at the time of a loved one’s death. It might also be helpful in preparing some notes on our own funeral.
Contact
David Branson
Director of Cemeteries
dbranson@orlandodiocese.org
407-246-4919
