Why Are Fewer Catholics Having Church Funerals?
Despite its enormous significance, skipping a funeral Mass and instead opting for a graveside service or ‘celebration of life’ for a loved one has become increasingly common among U.S. Catholics.
Death awaits at the end of every human life, and this profound event is also the entry point to the final judgment by Jesus that will determine the permanent destination of every human soul: heaven or hell.
The Catholic Church consequently has always emphasized the crucial importance of celebrating a funeral Mass, since it is the instrument through which recently departed souls can be commended to the care of God — and assisted by the prayers of their families and friends — on their final journey.
Yet despite its enormous significance, skipping a funeral Mass and instead opting for a graveside service or “celebration of life” for a loved one has become increasingly common among U.S. Catholics.
“There has been an overall steady decline in the number of Catholic funerals reported annually by dioceses in The Official Catholic Directory (OCD),” Father Thomas Gaunt, executive director of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), told the Register.
From 2001 to 2024, while the total Catholic population rose 9.3%, from 60.6 million to 66.3 million, the reported number of Catholic funerals (funeral Masses, funeral services and burials combined) fell 30.3%, from 503,733 to 350,755.
There has been a similar drop among baptisms, first Communions and weekly Mass attendance during the same period.
Why the drop? “There are various theories proposed to explain this decline but no hard data,” Father Gaunt replied, adding that “CARA has been interested in researching this for a number of years.”
But anecdotal evidence points to a significant contributor to this trend: Children of devout Catholics are not having Catholic funeral rites for their parents.
Those ministering to grieving families have taken note of this trend.
Certified funeral service practitioner Michael Johnston of Divine Mercy Funeral Home in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which consists of two funeral homes and a Catholic cemetery, certainly has.
While the trend is less pronounced at his funeral home, which is owned by the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, “our area, in general, is seeing more and more people going toward a service outside the church and more of a ‘celebration of life,’ which I find interesting because I consider a funeral Mass to be a celebration of life. When I write an obituary, I say ‘a funeral Mass will be celebrated.’”
Added Johnson, “It does seem that more and more people are trending toward a funeral home service or more of a secular service than the traditional religious service that’s been practiced over the years.”
He posits the change might have to do with cremation. “Cremation affords people the opportunity of convenience,” he said, as families can wait weeks or even months and have something informal to mark a loved one’s passing.
Denver’s Response
In Denver, Oblate Father Paul Nguyen, pastor of Holy Ghost Church, finds people opting out of having funeral Masses, but “it’s not an overwhelming trend,” he said. “We still see a fair amount of funeral Masses requested here in Denver.” Some also opt for a graveside service at a Catholic cemetery.
“But the problem that we run into, and more of a change, is the vigil service. A lot of people are not doing the wake. They’ll come an hour early for the funeral Mass, and it’s [wake and funeral] in one shot. We’re also seeing a lot higher incidence of cremations and a fairly low rate of a plan for burying or placing those remains in a columbarium or mausoleum. People are keeping the ashes at home or family members are taking turns.”
This practice is against Catholic teaching, which communicates that all remains should be buried.
The pastor, who resides in a state that has seen an uptick in human composting and scattering of ashes in the mountains or lakes, explained these are undignified practices that do not honor the deceased. “We counsel against that if we hear about it and encourage them to bury those remains in a sacred place,” he said.
To counter this trend, a Catholic cemetery in Denver offers an annual free burial of cremated remains in the Crypt of All Souls, including a memorial Mass. Courtesy of this service, Father Nguyen said, people are “able to have a little more closure and finality of the grieving process.”
Father Kevin Bowman, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, finds fewer funeral Masses “is definitely the case.”
“It’s a huge shift from what it used to be in Catholic culture,” he told the Register. “The norm was always the funeral Mass and then the burial.”
He believes COVID was the starting point for when “people have been opting out of Masses.” But he emphasized there are many different reasons why.
“I would say the top reasons are adult children no longer embrace the Catholic faith that they were raised in, either because of marriage situations or they just decide to step away from organized religion,” Father Bowman said.
He described one situation with the family requesting “an expedited service” and asking him to “abbreviate” the Mass. That shifted the service to a funeral home, to which he agreed. That then changed to a graveside service. “They gave me about five minutes at the graveside. That’s what we ended up with.”
Father Bowman observed, “It’s not so much Dad’s or Mother’s or grandparents’ wishes, but what the survivors are willing to do.”
The pastor also mentioned another longtime tradition that some families insist on while others sidestep — mourners praying the Rosary at the funeral parlor. He attributes a decline in the prayerful custom to the mixed marriages with non-Catholics. He said while some families have maintained their Catholic identity that way, many have had to accommodate or feel that they must accommodate non-Catholic partners, children and relatives.
“To have a family that has remained very strong and Catholic, rooted in Catholic tradition is rare today, I would dare say,” he told the Register.
Education Is Key
In Arizona, Harry Antram oversees the Diocese of Phoenix Catholic Cemeteries and Funeral Homes, operating six cemeteries and two funeral homes in central and northern Arizona. There, 65% of Catholic burials are preceded by a funeral Mass.
The diocese established the Catholic funeral homes to ensure the proper handling of Catholic services for the deceased. Antram, who is the organization’s president and CEO, believes many of the problems stem from Catholics today not being catechized about how to handle death, about the sanctity of the body and why the remains should be treated with respect even when considering cremation.
“That’s why we take time to try to educate families that the greatest gift that you can give your loved one is the funeral Mass,” he told the Register.
“We have found, contrary to what society is telling us, that Catholics want to know what they don’t know. Many Catholics come in and say, ‘Well, this is what we want,’ and we explain what the Church’s desire is, and they say, ‘Yes, we want to follow.’ Catholic families are yearning to be educated.”
This is evident when Antram works with families who do not want to honor the prearrangements for a funeral Mass. Antram has shown families what their mother or father planned in writing, how they took precious time to go through readings and music that they wanted at the Mass. “Oftentimes, that changes them,” Antram explained. “They say, ‘I didn’t realize they really wanted it that badly.’”
His detailing of Church teaching has even prompted sacramental moments: Children who had not been in church in years requested confession before Mass so they could receive the Eucharist at their parent’s funeral.
The mission of the diocesan funeral homes is “really to educate Catholic families,” he underscored. “That is why it’s so important for Catholic dioceses to look into funeral homes. So many of them have cemeteries, but not many of them have funeral homes. We, as Catholics, have an excellent format to basically create this mission within the Church to really educate Catholic families.”
Looking at the current trend, Michael Johnston also sees hopeful signs. At a recent conference with the National Funeral Directors Association, one item discussed was generational trends for funeral arrangements. “We’re starting to see millennials make funeral arrangements now, and we seem to be trending back more conservative,” he said. “I think we’re going to see this revert again.”
That’s welcome news to Antram. “That’s our faith. You’re offering that Mass as a final send-off for your loved one in prayer that hopefully they’re on their journey to the heavenly Kingdom.”
Not always the adult kids choice either. My late Aunt’s husband went against her wishes and had her cremated. She very involved with her local Parish, leading bible studies, bringing in Catholic Speakers and supporting the Church with her time as well as financially. She had been in failing health over a long period and it was not a secret what her funeral wishes were. When it became clear that her spouse was making choices far removed from what she expressed a call was made to the Pastor, her long time friend. He said he wouldn’t interfere. Highly disappointing. Word got around. Amongst a church full of friends, a sliver of them showed up for her funeral.
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