Grand Coteau, Louisiana
337-662-5279
Morning Prayer:
Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m.
before 8:00 a.m. Mass
Night Prayer:
On YouTube only
"If we wish to make any progress in the service of God, ...we must keep ourselves in the presence of God as much as possible and have no other view or end in all our actions but the divine glory.
-St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop 1538-1583
Liturgy of the Hours
Below is a short summary of what the Church teaches on burial and cremation. For a fuller explanation of the subject, see the entire article by clicking on the "Sacraments and Liturgy" tab and selecting funerals and buriels.
While the Church has in recent decades allowed for cremation to be chosen for sanitary, economic or other social reasons, she strongly continues to prefer the burial of the body of the deceased as the most fitting way to express and reinforce the belief in the dignity of the human body as a temple of the Holy Spirit and in the bodily resurrection.
In cases where cremation is chosen, the remains should be treated with the same respect given the human body from which they come. This respect requires that the entire remains be laid to rest in a sacred place, buried in a grave, or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium. The remains may not be divided up, reserved in a private residence, or used to make jewelry or other keep sakes. The church also strictly prohibits the scattering of ashes, for any motive whatsoever.
May the Church’s teaching on this topic assist us in caring and praying well for our deceased brothers and sisters and in proclaiming and passing on the Good News of the Gospel for the greater glory of God.