Submitted by Richard Hetzler
My brother had worked with my mother many years before she came to Chicago to outline her desires for funeral services. One of her requests was for me to do the readings at her funeral mass. When mother moved near me, I contacted the local Catholic Church, and found that there is a book, “Through Death to Life,” which allowed me to plan all the readings and songs ahead of time.
I selected the passages I would read, then later selected songs and other readings. I was able to determine her comfort with many songs and readings, without specifically referencing a funeral. When her death came, being able to simply fax the printed outline to the church removed a burden during that difficult time.
Once mother was under hospice care, one of the services offered was a chaplain. I was skeptical, but gave it a try. These turned out to be very well qualified chaplains who are sensitive to individual religious preferences. Ours was a Methodist minister who did an excellent job of meeting the needs of a Catholic person, even saying the rosary with her. This turned out to be a valuable service, and they earned my greatest respect for how they handled the situation.
