Who: This scene is OPEN TO ALL.
Where: The cemetery.
When: The afternoon of Monday, September 20
Rating: PG -- we hope.
Status: Just started!
Summary: Dick's family arranged for a Catholic Funeral. After last night's vigil, today's funeral mass and now the burial, characters are welcome to swap their stories about Dick, or keep quiet about their real motivation for coming.
Burial and Informal After-burial Gatherings
"After the Requiem Mass, the coffin is taken to the cemetery. The ground or mausoleum in which the body will be disposed should be blessed by a priest if the cemetery is not a proper Catholic cemetery (which is the ideal) or already blessed. [...] Then the priest will intone the Canticle of Luke 1:68-79. This is followed by the Antiphon John 11:25-26 and by a short Kyrie while the priest prays the Pater silently and sprinkles the body with holy water. He again asks that the soul rest in peace, and ends with another prayer for mercy.
"Traditionally, at least in Catholic cemeteries, the body of a layman is buried such that the head faces East, symbolizing their awaiting bodily resurrection by Christ, Who is called "Orient." Priests are buried in the opposite direction of the laity, symbolizing their having to confront the effects of their pastoring on the souls entrusted to them by God."
...
"After the funeral, it is typical to gather at the house of the one closest to the departed, to eat, drink, remember, console one another, and pray (these informal post-burial gatherings are also sometimes referred to as "wakes." This isn't strictly accurate, but common usage). This is when bringing food and drink is especially appreciated, as it is in the days to come when the crowds go home -- but the survivors, still grieving, are beginning to confront the sad reality of their temporal loss. In fact, it tends to be the days after the funeral, when all the distractions of funeral arrangements and greeting people have vanished, that are most painful. Don't forget the mourners in the weeks that follow. Bring food by, take care of small chores for them, call them, let them cry and talk. And don't be afraid to mention the departed; though everyone is different, most mourners want -- need -- to talk about their loved one. After prayer, just providing an ear and encouraging the mourner to offer up his pain are often the best things you can do. Mention the person's name (or "the baby" in the case of miscarriage), remember the departed with the mourner, affirm the suffering the mourner is going through. Never, ever tell someone to "get over it" or that they've "got to move on," etc. Let them tell you how they feel; don't attempt to orchestrate, diminish, or ignore their emotions. The best way to deal with grief is to go through it -- with faith and the support of people who allow the mourner to mourn."
[source]
![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
