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Although the Catholic funeral rite has not changed in the past few decades, society has. Parishes have new questions to face that their liturgical book does not consider: eulogies by family members, the final disposition of cremated remains, and the collapse of the traditional three-stage funeral liturgy. Light in the Darkness takes a fresh look at the pastoral challenges society is posing, while giving concrete suggestions for implementing the vision of the Catholic Church’s Order of Christian Funerals. The appendix includes catechetical materials for families planning a funeral and an extended commentary on all the Scripture readings for a funeral Mass.
Paul Turner is pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Kansas City, Missouri. A priest of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, he holds a doctorate in sacred theology from Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. He is a former president of the North American Academy of Liturgy and a member of Societas Liturgica and the Catholic Academy of Liturgy. He serves as a facilitator for the International Commission on English in the Liturgy. His publications include One Love: A Pastoral Guide to the Order of Celebrating Matrimony, Inseparable Love: A Commentary on The Order of Celebrating Matrimony in the Catholic Church, Glory in the Cross: Holy Week in the Third Edition of The Roman Missal, Let Us Pray: A Guide to the Rubrics of Sunday Mass, and Whose Mass Is It? Why People Care So Much about the Catholic Liturgy, all published by Liturgical Press. He is also a contributor to Give Us This Day.
