I could help compile and typeset this if others can help compile texts, and write up the instructions...

I'm assuming it should have the missal music for the dialogs, no?

Is this meant to be a general funeral book or a guidebook?

If it is a general book, in the OF I would provide the propers in English and Latin, as well as Gregorian Chant Mass XVIII. I would also provide a number of hymns in the back, since it is permitted to substitute a hymn over the propers. You know the sort often used at funerals - Amazing Grace, Abide With Me, etc and a couple of communion hymns such as "Soul of my Saviour".

Can the choices. Make one choice, go with it. This IS what DM's want. Guidance, simple and easy. I'd can Amazing Grace first when it came to hymns. Do not include any music that we argued over when we did PBEH, even though some of it got in.

A simple guide for the Mass that also explains the order - explaining the Eulogies are fodder for the funeral home or graveside, but not at Mass...all these things would help. Making it done, ready to use, means that it would take work to change and most will go with it as it is....happy not to have to do On Eagles....

IN FACT, prepare a guide for the Funeral Director and family, listing all the music that they can choose to do at the wake/viewing/drive-in funeral window.

Smart DM's will grasp this and their guitars as they arrive with the priest at the funeral home and receive a generous check in a plain white envelope when they leave.

Notice to funeral directors:

Funerals at St. ______________ Church.

You will have the opportunity to host eulogies, the saying of the Rosary, and Catholic songs and hymns at the calling hours. We will be glad to provide the information you need to print out the song sheets the family requests and provide the singers and musicians for the standard fees if you request.

The Funeral Mass will begin on time and be very consistent about the length of time it will take, since there will be no eulogies at the Mass. They are not permitted as part of the Catholic tradition. This will make it easier for you to schedule the graveside services, and we know that you will appreciate this effort on our part as well.

At the Funeral Mass we will distribute booklets to assist the Catholics and especially the non-Catholics attending in understanding and following the Funeral Mass, which has been a Catholic tradition for centuries. There is no substitution or singing of musical requests at the Catholic Mass; this is where you are able to provide service to the family to make sure that any special music that they wish to hear and sing is during the viewing.

For those if you who are not Catholic, we welcome you to come and meet with us so that we can explain what goes on at a Catholic funeral - as you know, when the casket enters the church, it is covered with a traditional religious pall and it does not enter or leave alone, rather it is accompanied by the priest as it comes in and leaves, at which point it is entrusted to your care. There are reasons for everything that happens at a Catholic funeral and we feel that the more you understand, the better you will be able to serve those families who entrust their family member to your care.

If a family does a web search for Catholic Funeral Readings, the first choice on Google tonight is:

http://fathergilles.net/GoodNews/Funeral_Rdgs_Ord_Time_Ref.pdf

Of the psalms he lists, Psalm 23 is repeated a couple of times. The others are not exactly comforting...I see no reason to provide them as a choice. Using 23rd will pleasantly surprise Non-Catholics and comfort Catholics...MeloFluent, opinion, please?

Getting bishops to agree? Like herding cats. Waste of time, just irritates them. This has to be an individual parish thing. Funeral directors are the key. They want control, they do not want to pay drivers and handy men and grave diggers to stand around while the Mass drags on and on and on....and you have to admit, it would be MUCH easier on the family to be able to attend Mass and go on, having the extreme emotions during the eulogies over and done with. How many eulogies end up involving laughter in your church?

I do agree that an OF version of the above book would be a great thing for non-Catholics and non-practicing Catholics who are at an OF Requiem.

If you have two folks by the door "collecting" them as part of being hospitable, you'll only lose 1 or 2 per large funeral.

Here's an initial sample:
http://blog.yankehome.com/liturgy/getFile.php?file=funeral-book-solemn-sample&filetype=pdf

I'm thinking of ideas for an appendix in the back (for parishes that want to use hymns).

That way, the propers would be primary, and with the ordinary so they are easy to see, but hymns could also be used without having to use multiple books, or worrying about the contents of the current hymnal in the church.

-Introit, offertory, and communion antiphons from by flowing waters (some priests want the congregation to sing the propers if they are going to be sung, so it's probably worth half-a-page to put it in there)
-english and latin versions of the "in paradisum" (I'm thinking the english version from the VII hymnal)
-a hymn-introit from kathy (requiem aternum)
-a limited selection of hymns (maybe 10 or 20? it would depend on how much space is left in the booklet, since lulu only allows 88 pages in this format, unless you want to go all out and make a hardcover book. I think they'll be at least 20 pages at the end, though, at this rate)

For a practical congregational worship aid, I think less is more. I would style it after the Lumen Christi missal. Give the congregation what it needs: the order of service with the vernacular texts to the propers (with Latin incipits, perhaps), responses to the dialogues and musical notation to the ordinary (here perhaps both Latin and English for the Sanctus and Agnus Dei. Maybe a small appendix of common hymns. A separate choir/organist book could be prepared that had the music for various forms of the propers etc. The people won't likely sing the antiphons even if notation is provided, and if simple musical settings are used then they might be able to pick it up with text only. If the people's book becomes too comprehensive, however, it will be that much less user friendly. I love my unabridged Oxford Book of Carols as a desk reference, but it's not a good performance edition.

Multiple versions of the congregational booklet - plug in the various choices....possibly get permission to include BFW - let the church purchase BFW for the organist, choir and cantors to get permission to use the download BFW version.

By Flowing Waters