Illinois diocese puts brakes on eulogies and wakes in church before funeral Mass
The Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, has announced new funeral policies effective July 1, 2026, eliminating eulogies and church visitation before funeral Mass. Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki explained that visitation before the liturgy is an anomaly and that vigil prayers should occur before the Mass, not during. The bishop clarified that eulogies are not allowed per the Order of Christian Funerals; instead, words of remembrance focusing on the deceased's faith life are permitted. Families can still gather for prayers at the funeral home, and a brief lay‑led prayer service can be offered during the body transfer to the church.
14 days ago
The Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, has prohibited visitation in churches immediately before funeral Masses and ended eulogies as part of its funeral policies effective July 1, 2026. Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki said the changes are intended to follow the Catholic Church’s Order of Christian Funerals while preserving opportunities for prayer and appropriate remembrance. 1
Bishop Paprocki announced that wakes or visitations in church immediately before the funeral liturgy would no longer be permitted in the diocese. He described the practice as an “anomaly” that had emerged in recent years. 1
The bishop emphasized that families may still gather at a funeral home for prayers before the funeral Mass. The Church’s Order of Christian Funerals also provides a brief prayer service, which may be led by a layperson, during the transfer of the body to the church or the place of committal. 1
Paprocki said the vigil for the deceased is intended to take place the night before the funeral. Priests or deacons are to pray the vigil prayers even when there is no public visitation, and family members are encouraged to participate in those individual prayers. 1
The diocese also ended eulogies during funeral rites. Paprocki said the Order of Christian Funerals does not provide for a eulogy but does allow “words of remembrance.” 1
According to the bishop, words of remembrance should focus on the deceased person’s faith and give praise to God, whereas a eulogy makes the deceased the primary focus. He said this distinction is intended to keep God as the central focus of the homily and remembrance. 1
Paprocki said remembrances can help those attending learn how the deceased practiced the faith and provide hope for heaven. He also said that remarks at funeral Masses can sometimes be inappropriate or difficult for grieving family members to deliver, even when they are suitable. 1
Under the new policy, words of remembrance must be submitted to the parish pastor at least three days before the funeral. A priest or deacon may read them during one of the three principal stations of the funeral rites: the visitation, the funeral Mass or liturgy, or the rite of committal at the cemetery. 1
Laypeople may also deliver words of remembrance at gatherings held outside those three funeral stations. 1
The Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, adopted a related policy on Dec. 1, 2025, ending church visitations before funeral Masses. Bishop David J. Bonnar said the uniform policy was intended to better reflect Church teaching and show respect for church buildings and the deceased. 1
Assess Catholic norms on pre‑Mass eulogies and wakes
Catholic funeral rites distinguish the vigil or wake from the Funeral Mass. The vigil is the principal communal celebration before the funeral and may include a liturgy of the word, prayers, Scripture, and other adapted rites.
At the Funeral Mass, the norm is unequivocal: there should ordinarily be a brief homily, “but never a eulogy of any kind.” The homily is meant to proclaim God’s mercy, Christ’s Paschal Mystery, Christian hope, and the resurrection—not to provide a biography or extended commendation of the deceased.
A so-called “pre-Mass eulogy”—remarks delivered immediately before the entrance procession or opening rites—is not part of the prescribed Eucharistic liturgy. The supplied norms do not explicitly authorize such an address as a regular element of the Mass. Since it occurs in the church and in close connection with the Eucharistic celebration, it can also blur the clear prohibition against turning the Funeral Mass into a eulogy.
Accordingly, the safer and more faithful practice is:
The family should be involved in planning the rites, but the minister has responsibility to explain their meaning and to select what is pastorally and liturgically suitable.
A wake can appropriately be the place for personal memories and words of remembrance, especially because the Order provides rites and prayers between death and the funeral liturgy and allows them to be adapted to circumstances.
However, if the wake includes an official liturgy of the word, its proclamation should remain centered on Scripture. Non-biblical readings may be added during prayer services with the family, but they may not replace the biblical readings in the funeral liturgy. Any reflection by a minister should avoid becoming a eulogy and instead illuminate Christian death in the light of the risen Christ.
Thus, personal tributes at a non-liturgical portion of the wake are not equivalent to inserting a eulogy into Mass. They should nevertheless be truthful, dignified, restrained, and compatible with Christian faith—avoiding canonization of the deceased, theological claims about their eternal state, or material that distracts from prayer and consolation.
The prohibition is not a denial of the deceased’s goodness or of the family’s need to remember. It protects the distinct purpose of the liturgy: the Church gathers to hear God’s Word and celebrate the Eucharist when one of the faithful dies. The homily may mention the deceased and the circumstances of death with sensitivity, but it must lead the assembly toward faith, hope, consolation, and the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection.
In summary: personal remembrance belongs principally at the wake or vigil; a eulogy does not belong within the Funeral Mass, and a pre-Mass eulogy should not be treated as a normal way of circumventing that norm.