Catholic Vigil (Wake) Service and Rite of Committal

Most people think of a Catholic funeral as the funeral Mass. The Church's funeral rites are really a series of stops along the way, and the Mass is the middle one. Before it comes the vigil, often called the wake. After it comes the Rite of Committal at the grave, tomb, or columbarium. Below is what happens at those two services, in order, plus the questions families ask most.

The three principal rites

The Order of Christian Funerals, the ritual book used in the United States since 1989, describes three main liturgies:

• The Vigil for the Deceased, usually the evening before the funeral, at the funeral home, the family's home, or the church.
• The Funeral Liturgy, normally a funeral Mass, celebrated in the parish church. A funeral liturgy outside Mass is also possible.
• The Rite of Committal, at the place of burial or entombment, usually straight after the funeral.

The book also contains shorter prayers for the hours and days between death and the funeral, which it calls Related Rites and Prayers. More on those below. For what happens at the Mass itself, see what to expect at a Catholic funeral and how to plan a Catholic funeral.

The Vigil for the Deceased

The vigil is the Church's prayer during visitation. People gather with the family, usually with the body present, and the community keeps watch in prayer the way the first disciples waited and hoped after Christ died. It is a Liturgy of the Word, not a Mass, so there is no Communion. It typically takes 20 to 30 minutes, and visitation goes on before and after.

Order of the vigil

Introductory Rites

• Greeting
• Opening song
• Invitation to prayer
• Opening prayer

Liturgy of the Word

• First reading
• Responsorial psalm
• Gospel
• Homily, a short reflection on the readings

Prayer of Intercession

• Litany, a set of petitions for the deceased and the mourners
• The Lord's Prayer
• Concluding prayer

Concluding Rite

• Blessing, often followed by a closing song or a moment of silent prayer

The rite also makes room for a family member or friend to speak in remembrance of the person who died, toward the end of the service. Because the vigil is less formal and has no Mass schedule behind it, many parishes encourage longer tributes and more than one speaker here rather than at the funeral Mass. If your family has several people who want to speak, this is the place. Our guide to giving a eulogy at a Catholic funeral has tips on writing one.

The readings for the vigil are usually drawn from the same set approved for funerals, and many families pick one they didn't use at the Mass. You can browse all of them on our funeral readings page. Psalm 23 and John 14:1-6 are frequent choices.

There is also a form of the vigil celebrated at the church, which begins with receiving the body at the door: the sprinkling with holy water and the placing of the pall. When that happens the night before, those elements are not repeated at the funeral Mass the next morning.

The Rosary at the wake

In many families the wake means the Rosary. That's a much-loved devotion, and praying it together for the person who died is a good and very Catholic thing to do. It is, however, a separate devotion, not the vigil itself. Some families pray both: the Rosary during visitation and the vigil service at a set time. Others have only the Rosary. If you want both, tell the funeral home and the parish so they can plan the evening and decide who leads each one.

Related Rites and Prayers

The Order of Christian Funerals provides short services for the moments around a death. Each is brief and can be led by a priest, deacon, or a lay minister or family member.

• Prayers after Death, for when the family first gathers with the body, at home or in the hospital.
• Gathering in the Presence of the Body, for when the family first sees the body after it has been prepared, often at the funeral home.
• Transfer of the Body to the Church or to the Place of Committal, a short prayer before the procession leaves the home or funeral home.

Few families know these exist until someone mentions them. A parish staff member or funeral director can usually provide the texts.

The Rite of Committal

The Rite of Committal is the final act of the community's care for the body. It takes place at the grave, the tomb, the mausoleum crypt, or the columbarium niche, or in a cemetery chapel if the weather or the cemetery requires it. It is short, usually 10 to 15 minutes.

Order of the Rite of Committal

• Invitation: the minister invites everyone to pray.
• Scripture verse: a single short passage, such as a line from John or Paul on the resurrection.
• Prayer over the place of committal: the grave or niche is blessed if it has not been already.
• Committal: the words entrusting the body or ashes to its resting place, in sure and certain hope of the resurrection.
• Intercessions
• The Lord's Prayer
• Concluding prayer
• Prayer over the people, a final blessing for the mourners.

A hymn or song may close the rite. Local customs often follow, such as placing a flower or a handful of soil on the casket. The funeral director will usually explain what the cemetery allows.

If there was no funeral liturgy beforehand, the book provides a fuller form called the Rite of Committal with Final Commendation, which brings the farewell normally made in church to the graveside.

Who leads these services?

A priest or deacon ordinarily leads the vigil and the committal. When neither is available, a lay minister may lead them, and many parishes have trained bereavement ministers who do exactly that. The funeral Mass itself requires a priest. If the timing or the presider matters to you, ask the parish when you first call.

Cremation and the committal

The Church has permitted cremation since 1963, provided it isn't chosen as a denial of faith in the resurrection. She still prefers burial of the body, and the preferred order with cremation is: funeral Mass with the body present, then cremation, then committal of the ashes. A funeral liturgy with the cremated remains present is also possible in the United States; ask your parish.

What happens to the ashes afterward matters. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's 2016 instruction Ad resurgendum cum Christo asks that cremated remains be laid to rest in a sacred place, such as a cemetery, a mausoleum, or a church columbarium. It asks that they not be:

• scattered on land, at sea, or in the air
• kept at home
• divided among family members
• made into jewelry or other keepsakes

The Rite of Committal is celebrated for ashes just as for a body, at the grave or niche where they are placed. If the deceased asked for something the Church doesn't permit, talk with your priest. Priests have this conversation often, and yours will help the family work out what to do.

Military honors and other customs

Military honors, fraternal organizations like the Knights of Columbus, ethnic customs, and graveside music can all be part of the day. Where they fit depends on the parish, the cemetery, and the organization involved. Military honors at a veterans' cemetery, for instance, often happen right after the committal prayers. Ask the funeral home to coordinate with the parish so the order is settled before the day.

Planning the rest

Many families print a single program for the funeral Mass and add the vigil details, or a short prayer card, for the wake. Our funeral program builder lays out the readings, hymns, and participants, and you can make a matching funeral prayer card for visitation. For more, see choosing funeral readings and Catholic funeral hymns.