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Introduction
Immediately following the death of a loved one is a difficult
time wrought with emotion. Added to that is the need to plan
funeral services and burial for the deceased. The Good Shepherd
Catholic Church community is able to assist a family with the
funeral planning needs by offering assistance with the
arrangements and guidance to the family.
Planning funeral service can seem to be an insurmountable
task; however, consultation with the Good Shepherd staff and a
funeral home will ease the process considerably and enable you
to plan a personal service that suits the wishes of the deceased
as well as the emotional, spiritual and financial needs of the
family.
Good Shepherd Planning Support
The Pastor and staff at Good Shepherd will assist you with
all aspects of the funeral service:
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Scheduling -- the staff will work with your family and the
funeral home you have chosen to coordinate dates and times for
funeral services.
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Visitation -- if you wish, visitation may be held at the
church or at a funeral home.
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Funeral Mass -- the church offers a guide for planning a
funeral Mass; suggestions for readings, music and prayers are
also provided. The staff can assist you in choosing those most
suitable for your service.
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Funeral Luncheon -- if you wish, a luncheon may be held in the
parish hall following a funeral service.
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Inurnment and Cremation -- the Good Shepherd Columbarium is
available for those parishioners who wish to have their final
resting place on the church grounds. At the time of need, the
staff will help with procurement of a niche or use of a
previously purchased niche. Should you plan to use the
Columbarium, the procedure is rather simple. When you visit the
church to plan the funeral, you will be given an urn to take to
the Funeral Home where you will arrange for the cremation. The
urn will be the correct size for the niche, attractive, and
suitable for the viewing and church service. The Funeral Home
will return the urn to you, with the cremains in it after the
cremation, and you can return it to the church for the final
ceremonies. Following the services, the urn will be secured in
the columbarium niche.
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Interment– burial arrangements for this option are primarily
made through a Funeral Home in coordination with the church.
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The Funeral Home
Funeral home personnel are compassionate, knowledgeable people
who are able to help the family of the deceased with all aspects
of the burial as well as other details that require attention.
Some of the arrangements with which a funeral home can assist
include:
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Transportation of the deceased from the home or hospital to
the funeral home or crematory and church
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Planning of funeral services including time and date,
inclusion of and location of visitation
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Determining burial plans. The funeral home will assist with
choosing a burial plot or a mausoleum as well as the casket or
urn
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If cremation is chosen the funeral home will make all the
necessary arrangements
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Placement of obituaries in local newspapers and assistance
with writing them
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Ordering prayer cards for distribution at the visitation
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Ordering death certificates
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Assistance with other arrangements or details including
referrals to florists and musicians
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In addition to helping with funeral arrangements at the time of
death, most funeral homes offer preplanning services. This
enables a family to make arrangements in a less pressured and
more thoughtful environment.
Funeral Homes
While the Huntsville area offers a number of funeral homes that
you may wish to consult, the following is a list of some of the
local funeral homes most often used by the Good Shepherd
community:
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Berryhill Funeral Home & Crematory
2305 North Memorial Parkway Huntsville, AL
(256) 536-9197
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Hampton Cove Funeral Home (formerly Twickenham)
6262 Highway 431 South, Hampton Cove, AL
(256) 518-9168
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Laughlin Service Funeral Home, Inc.
2320 Bob Wallace Ave. Huntsville, AL
(256) 534-2471
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Spry Funeral Home Inc. And Crematory
2411 North Memorial Parkway Huntsville, AL
(256) 536-6654
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Funeral Planning'a Resources
The following websites offer comprehensive information on
funeral planning, including a downloadable funeral planning
guide, cremation options, grief support and much more.
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