Catholic Obituary
All of us come and go. People usually commemorate a person’s death by bringing up memories when he or she is still living. It’s also important to announce the death of the person to let his friends know what happened to him. This announcement is usually done in a form of an obituary. You can find most obituaries in your local newspapers or in the internet. Writing an obituary might be painful, especially if the person who died is someone you cherish. However painful it is, it’s possible to get this process done that is easy in your part.You may also see obituary writings.
What is an Obituary?
An obituary is basically a notice in newspapers or some websites that someone has died. It contains some brief details about the person and the dates of the services/masses which will be held for him. Catholic obituaries have mostly the same format with other obituaries so writing one is not difficult. You may also see informative speech.
Putting an obituary in newspapers can be costly (the expense varies, but mostly newspapers charge you depending how many lines does your obituary consist) so consider this first in writing an obituary to your loved one. If you think you can’t afford publishing in a newspaper, you can always try the internet. There are websites that publish obituaries or you can also write one in your respective social media accounts. But if you want a physical remembrance of the obituary of your dearly departed to honor his memory one last time, then here are some ways to help you out in making the process easier. You may also see how to write an obituary.
Information to be Included in Writing a Catholic Obituary
1. Announcement
Obviously, list the full name of the deceased person (add a special nickname or alias if the person has one), their birth and death dates. If you want, you can place a photograph, a recent and clear portrait of the deceased (remember, putting a photograph may cost more). Below is an example of an obituary of famous actor James Dean:
It is with great sorrow to announce that James Byron Dean or famously known as James Dean has passed away on September 30, 1955 at the age of 24.
2. Brief Biography
Highlight the notable events of the recently deceased. You may include their accomplishments, hobbies, interests, jobs, the schools they attended or any other significant information about their life. You may also see speech examples.
Example: An up and coming Hollywood actor, he is best remembered as an icon of teenage angst and social estrangement. His roles consists of a disgruntled, misunderstood person. He graced the silver screens from his three consecutive successful films such as East of Eden (1955), Rebel Without A Cause (1955) and Giant (1956).
3. Include The Names of His Survivors (or Predeceased Relatives)
It is usually a tradition to list down the names of family members the deceased person has left behind, unless if they no longer have no family left (if they do, list down the names of the family members who died before the recently deceased person). These family members include:
- Parents
- Spouse (if applicable)
- Children (if applicable)
- Siblings (if applicable)
- Grandchildren
- In-laws
- Cousins
Some obituaries also include the name of the deceased person’s friends, colleagues, and company or organization they belonged. If you are saving space or the deceased person has a big family, there is no need to list down every relative’s names. You may also see wedding speech.
Example: Dean will be eternally remembered by his father Winton Dean, his close friends in Hollywood and the thousands of fans who who mourn in his untimely passing.
4. Services of the Deceased Person
After writing a brief biography and listing down the names of the surviving family members, place down the details of the service schedule that will take place. List down the time, date and address of where the service/mass will be held. You may also see welcome speech.
Example: A funeral service in memory of James Dean will be held on October 8, 1955, 3 PM, at Fairmount Friends Church, Fairmount, Indiana.
(Note that some of the information above is made up for example purposes.)
5. Memorial
Give the name and mailing address of a foundation or society to which you wish to direct any memorial donations made in honor of your loved one. The decision as to which foundation or society to support may be based upon interests or values that your loved one expressed during his life or it could be related to a medical condition which he or she had.You may also see introduction speech.
We recommend you refrain from using the phrase “in lieu of flowers” when requesting memorial donations. Instead, start the final paragraph of the obituary with the words “Memorial donations may be made to….”
Example: Those who desire to accompany him in journey to the afterlife may do so. Memorial donations may be made to his address.
6. Review and Revise (if necessary)
Just like writing essays or research papers for school, you need to review your obituary first before you send it to the newspaper/editor. Take time to proofread your work. If you may, you can let someone read it over to check for grammatical or factual errors. It’s important to get the information verified by various family members to avoid confusion, embarrassment and worse, arguments between your family members.
You can also change your wordings if necessary. It’s up to you what tone will you use when writing an obituary. But if you’re not so sure, you can use the common wordings below:
- “It is with great sadness that the family of (deceased name) announce (his/her) passing….”
- “(Deceased name) will be sadly missed by ….”
- “Fondly remembered by….”
- “Forever remembered by….”
- “Lovingly remembered by….”
- “Wife/husband and best friend of (number) years….”
- “A Celebration of (deceased’s name) life will be held on….
After verifying the obituary you’ve written, consider when and which newspaper should you publish your obituaries. It’s an important factor to consider which newspaper will charge less on obituaries. You also need to decide with the editor (or anyone assigned in this section of the newspaper) how your obituary should look like. Will it be printed in color? Or black and white? Will it fill a quarter of a newspaper page or just a small section in the corner? Publishing obituaries need careful planning. You may also see tribute speech.
If you’re still confused on how to write a decent obituary, refer to the given examples below:
Other Examples of Catholic Obituaries of Fictionalized Persons:
1. On Saturday April 21, 2007, Zara Overton, daughter and sister, passed away suddenly at the age of 73 years. She was born on March 19, 1934. She was a strong feminist advocate during her late teens and until her death. Zara will be eternally remembered by her sisters Jane, Lizzy, Kitty, Mary and Lydia. She was one of the daughters of oil businessman Marcus Overton and Catherine Overton. Zara will also be remembered by her nieces, nephews, extended family and her bosom friends.
A Prayer Service will be held on Wednesday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m., at Connelly-McKinley St. Albert Chapel.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in memory of Zara on Saturday, April 28, at 9:00 a.m., at Holy Family Catholic Church, St. Albert, with Fr. McKenzie presiding.
Memorial donations in memory of Zara may be made to Spinster Foundation Inc.
2. Eleanor Rigby, a.k.a. Dr. Ellie Rig, passed away on December 8, 2000, at the age of 59.
She was born on June 13, 1941 at Somerset, England. She migrated to California at the age of 15 when her parents, both zoology experts, decided to dedicate their work in ichthyology in the Pacific seas. Rigby shortly went back to England to study medicine at University of Cambridge and graduated with a medical degree. She dedicated these years in medical missions in Asia to help ailing children. in 1973, she received numerous philanthropy awards due to her her service to children. Tragedy struck her in 1984 when she wen blind due to a car accident. She went back to England and spent her remaining years serving orphan children.
She is survived by her husband, Paul and children, Richard and Patricia, and 2 grandchildren.
A celebration of her life will be held on Monday, December 13 at 9 a.m. at the Freebody Funeral Home, with Rev. McKenzie officiating.
Memorial donations in memory of Rigby can be made to the Rigby Foundation of Ailing Children at her home address.
Writing an obituary is not the most fun experience, but it is a part of life. By doing this, you are respecting and reliving the memory of the deceased person when they still were living. You may also see obituary for your business.
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