"Music is integral to the funeral rites. It allows the community to express convictions and feelings that words alone may fail to convey. It has power to console and uplift the mourners and to strengthen the unity of the assembly in faith and love. The texts of songs chosen for a particular celebration should express the paschal mystery of the Lord’s suffering, death, and triumph over death and should be related to the readings from Scripture.

Since music can evoke strong feelings, the music for the celebration rites should be chosen with great care."
                                                                     Order of Christian Funerals

Music at St. John Chrysostom Parish

Because music has such a dignified place within the funeral liturgies, we presume that our parish organist and cantor will assist at each funeral. Guest musicians or cantors will be considered at the family’s request and could be incorporated into the funeral liturgy according to the abilities and preferences of each musician or cantor.

Patti Georges, St. John's Music Director (right), will be the final authority on guest musicians, music selections, and placement of music within the liturgy. You may email Patti here with any questions.

Suggested Psalms and Hymns

Following are suggested hymns appropriate to funeral liturgies. You may select one Psalm and up to four hymns for a Funeral Mass. You may also request a hymn not listed, and we will try to accommodate you.
To Listen to These Hymns
You may listen to any hymn below by Googling the hymn title followed by the composer as listed. For example, to listen to "Be Not Afraid" by Bob Dufford, SJ, open your browser and search "be not afraid dufford" (without quotation marks). You must include the composer's last name to get the correct version. If no composer is listed, enter just the title. Typically, your first result will be the hymn you want.

Note: Titles marked with an asterisk (*) are not found in our Breaking Bread hymnal.

Psalms (select one)

#23: The Lord is My Shepherd - Alstott*
#25: To You O Lord I Lift My Soul - Haas*
#27: The Lord is My Light and My Salvation - Haas*
#63: Your Love is Finer than Life - Haugen*
#103: The Lord is Kind and Merciful - Haugen*
#131: In You O Lord I have Found My Peace - Haas*

Hymns (select up to five)

All I Ask of You - Weston Priory
Alleluia! Alleluia! - Hymn to Joy
Alleluia, Sing to Jesus - Hyderol
Amazing Grace - New Britain
As the Deer Longs - O Waly Waly
Ave Maria - Franz Schubert
Be Not Afraid - Dufford
Blest are They - Haas
Center of My Life - Inwood
Come to Me - Weston Priory
Do Not Let Your Heart Be Troubled* - Haas
Eye Has Not Seen - Haugen
Faith of our Fathers - St Catherine
For All the Saints - Vaughn Williams
Gift of Finest Wheat - Kreutz
Hail Mary, Gentle Woman - Landry
Healing River of the Spirit - Beach Spring
Here I Am, Lord - Schutte
Holy God, We Praise Thy Name - Gott
Hosea - Weston Priory
How Can I Keep from Singing
How Great Thou Art - Hine
I am the Bread of Life - Toolan
I Have Loved You - Joncas
I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say - Kingsford
I Know that My Redeemer Lives - Soper
In Remembrance of Me* - Buryl Red
Irish Blessing* - Stookey
Isaiah 49 - Landry
Jerusalem My Happy Home - Land of Rest
Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee - Hymn to Joy
Let There Be Peace on Earth - Miller-Jackson
Like a Child Rests - Walker
Love Goes On - Farrell
Loving and Forgiving - Soper
My Soul Rejoices - Alstott
Now We Remain - Haas
O God Our Help in Ages Past - Watts
On Eagles' Wings - Joncas
One Bread, One Body - Foley
Only in God - Talbot
Panis Angelicus - Lambilotte
Prayer of St. Francis - Temple
Precious Lord, Take My Hand - Dorsey
Rain Down - Cortez
Rise Up with Him - Vogt
River of Glory - Schutte
Shall We Gather at the River - Hansom Place
Shepherd Me, O God - Haugen
Sing a New Song - Schutte
Sing with All the Saints in Glory - Hymn to Joy
Soon and Very Soon - Crouch
Taste and See - Moore
The King of Love, My Shepherd Is - St. Columba
The Strife is O'er - Palestrina
The Supper of the Lord - Rosania
This Bread that We Share - MacAller
We Walk by Faith - Haugen
We Will Rise Again - Haas
Whatsoever You Do - Jabusch
You are Mine - Haas
You are Near - Schutte