help planning a Catholic funeral?

You said that you have proper life insurance with your fiancee as the beneficiary. That is good, even if it is only "term" life insurance. At your age you should at least look into a whole life policy. That's the sort of life insurance policy that builds up a cash value over time. It also can never be cancelled so long as you pay the premiums. "Whole life" rates are higher than term rates at your age, but when you get older, the whole life premiums - if you start the policy now, will be much easier for you to pay than would be term rates.

As for the funeral arrangements, the most thoughtful thing you can do is make sure there is money to pay the funeral bill. It sounds like you already have done that. The next most thoughtful thing is to write out your desires in detail and make sure your wife, lawyer, and at least one other close friend or family member has a copy of those wishes. Keep in mind that terrible things can happen, such as spouses dying together in an accident. Don't presume for certain that your wife will be alive for your funeral. I'm saying this bluntly because you have asked so directly, and you seem to be taking a mature approach to this matter.

Nearly all funeral directors can make arrangements in advance. That can include full payment now at today's rates. That can save a lot of money, since prices are sure to increase over many years. At your age, you might want to leave open the option of not having a funeral where you now live. You might retire to another place and live 30 years there. If so, it would be good for your survivors to have the freedom to hire a funeral director in that place. Talk with funeral directors now about that possibility, and about how that would be handled if you pay now for a funeral, but your wife wants to have a funeral for you elsewhere 40 years from now.

The details are easy to write down. Choose songs you would like, and Bible readings you would like. You also can pick out a casket and burial vault. Perhaps the most important detail is how you want your remains to be handled. The Church allows cremation, but the cremation remains (sometimes called "cremains") can NOT be scattered in any way. They must be buried or placed in a mausoleum, or handled in some other way that is appropriate. Turning the remains into a sculpture is NOT allowed, and spreading them in your rose garden is not allowed. Check the catechism for acceptable options for cremation remains.

Direct cremation is the least expensive option. In that case you would not be embalmed, but would be cremated soon after death. That cremation, with no urn, would cost only a few hundred dollars. A funeral and burial costs would be separate. A direct cremation, funeral and burial might cost as little as $3,000. Cemetery plot costs vary a lot. Some burial plots cost less than $500, but some cost many thousands of dollars. Placement in a mausoleum usually is less expensive than burial, but not always.

Decide whether to be cremated. Whether cremated or not, decide whether you will be buried or kept in a mausoleum. Choose a casket style. If you will be buried, decide whether you want a concrete vault into which the casket will be placed in the ground. Some cemeteries require a vault due to unstable ground conditions. The vault will add $1,000 to $2,000 to burial costs.

I know one person who made ALL arrangements in advance and paid every penny of the costs. That person was one of my great aunts, who was almost like a mother to my mother. When she died it was a great relief to learn that she had made all arrangements and paid for them already. She picked out her own casket and vault, and even the hymns and prayers were chosen, and the grave (with her previously deceased husband, my great uncle) already was owned by the family.

For myself, I will insist only on compliance with Catholic Church teaching. I will make my desires known, but I also will make it clear that my first desire will be that things be made as easy and pleasant as possible for any surviving family and friends. By this I mean that details can be changed in order to bring greater peace to the living.

Shop around for prices on cemeteries and funeral directors. Shop very carefully for a monument. I have known of some truly outrageous ripoffs committed by unethical monument sellers. If you buy a stone while you are alive and well, the purchase will be much wiser. Grieving spouses and children often make terrible decisions about gravestones, especially by spending far too much money. Shop hard for a stone. You will be shocked at the enormous variety of prices.

I think it is good to have a burial plot and stone in place before you even die. Even if you move to another city, your remains still can be transported to the place where you already own a grave.

I am Roman Catholic.

Peace be with you.

Visit a trusted local Funeral Director and pre-plan your funeral. At that time, she or he can give you a total cost of the funeral that you've chosen.

From there, you go out and get a life insurance policy based on that and however much you would like to leave behind for your bride-to-be. Keep in mind that the prices for the funeral will rise over time, so if you pick a 30 year term insurance policy and die in your early 50's, the costs for your pre-planned funeral will be higher than what they are right now.

As for wanting your services at that specific place, the Funeral Director can arrange all of that for you. That is what we do.

So call them or stop by and speak to whichever one you want to use and they will help you set it all up.

You need to report what this pastor has asked you to do to the main of your university. This can be a entirely inappropriate task and an inappropriate discipline for you and your classmates. I am surprised that different mother and father for your parish have not already been complaining. I'm additionally certain that your parents will whinge about it once they discover about it, which they are going to. That this priest has this so much vigour over what occurs on the parish institution surprises me- our parish has a institution too, however our priest does not have anywhere near this so much say in how it is run. If you do not want to do this, then do not, but make sure your mom and dad recognize what you're as much as first. They can guard you in the event that your teacher decides to offer you a foul grade, or something else happens, like you might be sent to the fundamental's administrative center. I don't blame you for being depressed by means of this. Youngsters your age do not ought to be fascinated by this type of discipline but- there might be a lot of time for that afterward, when you are grown up. Planning a funeral does now not support one set pursuits for life- actually, it just causes most men and women numerous grief. That's one more reason i'm worried for you- it sounds as if this priest has some serious mental issues he needs aid with. He may be the one who rather wishes to get some help, not you. Just right luck, and i'm hoping this helps.

I pre-paid my funeral service in '82, I'm 79 now, so my time may come any time now. I went to my local funeral home, and they helped me finalize it.

Try it!