IN PRACTICE


“If we’re going to be Christ for one another, I need to be there for them.”


hearse.” Working with the family in such a positive way is respectful of their feelings and can be an opportune moment for evangelization. And it’s by far preferable to simply saying no to the family.


“Be Pastoral.”


If there is one phrase I heard repeatedly in my conversation with Charlotte, it’s “Be pastoral.” When I asked her to summarize her approach to preparing funeral music with families, she offered three tips:


• Meet them where they’re at. • Be open to their suggestions. • Be prepared to offer your own suggestions as well.


It’s not hard to create a guide to help with selecting the prayers, readings, and music for a funeral. Te real work, the real ministry, comes in knowing how to use it and in knowing when to set it aside. As Charlotte Mariasy says, “If we’re going to be Christ for one another, I need to be there for them.”


Mike Novak is Section Editor forPastoral Music magazine and ministers as cantor and tenor section leader at St. John of the Cross Parish in Western Springs, Illinois. He has directed music ministries in


parish and campus ministry settings and is a former worship office director for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.


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