• If the family wishes, a priest at St. Thomas Aquinas will offer the Rite of the Vigil for the Deceased before the funeral (usually the preceding day).

• The Vigil for the Deceased is the principal rite celebrated by the Church in the time following death and before the funeral Liturgy. It is customary to celebrate it at some point during the wake, which is held in the funeral home, in the house of the deceased or at another appropriate location.

• The practice of scheduling a specific hour for the Vigil for the Deceased is encouraged in order for more of the faithful, your family and your friends to pray with you and to offer expressions of sympathy.

•  The Vigil for the Deceased does not replace the Funeral.

• The Vigil does not exclude nor replace particular devotions, such as the rosary or the Divine Mercy Chaplet, which are encouraged by the Church and are fitting during the wake.



• The Vigil for the Deceased is an appropriate time for family and friends to speak in remembrance of the deceased. This is an opportune time to give a more formal eulogy.