Coordinating a Funeral Mass with the Diocese of Dallas

The Diocese of Dallas, established in 1890 and led by Bishop Edward J. Burns, serves approximately 1.2 million Catholics across nine north Texas counties. For Dallas-area Catholic families coordinating a Funeral Mass, navigating the parish system, the diocesan offices, and the Catholic cemetery system can feel like its own bureaucracy at exactly the wrong moment. This guide walks you through it.

Vargas-London Funeral Home and Cremation Services coordinates Catholic funerals across all Diocese of Dallas parishes — from Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in downtown Dallas, to Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Richardson, to Saint Mark the Evangelist in Plano, to dozens of others named on our city service-area pages. We also coordinate with the diocese's anchor Catholic cemetery, Calvary Hill Cemetery (3235 Lombardy Lane, Dallas), at no upcharge.

Step 1: Identify the parish

The first question for the family: which parish was the deceased a member of? "Member" in canonical terms means registered at that parish. Diocese of Dallas parishes generally have a registration form members complete to formally affiliate. If the deceased was registered, the home parish is the natural place for the Funeral Mass.

If the deceased was Catholic but not registered at any specific parish (very common for Catholics who attend Mass occasionally rather than weekly), the family selects a parish based on geography or family preference. The parish nearest the family's home, the parish where the deceased was baptized or married, or the parish a family member is currently affiliated with are all appropriate choices.

Major Diocese of Dallas parishes that handle high volumes of funeral coordination:

• Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe — 2215 Ross Ave, Dallas, TX 75201. Spanish-language Mass available daily.
• Sacred Heart (Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón) — 2520 Storey Ln, Dallas, TX 75220. Historic Hispanic parish; full Spanish-language services.
• St. Thomas Aquinas — 6306 Kenwood Ave, Dallas, TX 75214. Lakewood neighborhood parish.
• St. Monica — 9933 Midway Rd, Dallas, TX 75220. Northwest Dallas.
• St. Rita — 12521 Inwood Rd, Dallas, TX 75244. North Dallas, Park Cities area.
• Christ the King — 8017 Preston Rd, Dallas, TX 75225. Park Cities.
• St. Mark the Evangelist — 1100 W 15th St, Plano, TX 75075. Bilingual; large parish.
• Prince of Peace Catholic Community — 5100 Plano Pkwy E, Plano, TX 75093. Bilingual.
• St. Joseph Catholic Church — 600 S Jupiter Rd, Richardson, TX 75081. Spanish-language Mass.
• Saint Gabriel the Archangel — 110 St Gabriel Way, McKinney, TX 75071. Bilingual.
• Saint Francis of Assisi — 8000 Eldorado Pkwy, Frisco, TX 75035. Adjacent to Gates of Heaven Catholic Cemetery.
• St. Luke the Evangelist — 202 S MacArthur Blvd, Irving, TX 75061. Large Hispanic congregation.
• Saint Jude Catholic Church — 1515 N Greenville Ave, Allen, TX 75002. Bilingual.

Step 2: Call the parish funeral coordinator

Every Diocese of Dallas parish has a designated funeral coordinator — usually a parish staff member or trained volunteer who handles all funeral scheduling. When you call the parish office, ask specifically for the funeral coordinator. The parish coordinator handles:

• Scheduling the Funeral Mass (date and time, typically 24–72 hours after the call)
• Assigning the priest celebrant (the parish pastor unless he is unavailable, in which case the parochial vicar or a visiting priest)
• Music coordination — assigning the parish organist and cantor, approving hymn choices, and coordinating any special music
• Sacristan and altar server scheduling
• Pallbearers and ushers (if the family does not provide their own)
• Confirming Catholic cemetery and graveside coordination
• The Mass stipend offering and music fees

The parish coordinator is your single point of contact at the parish. The funeral home (Vargas-London) is your single point of contact for transportation, the Vigil, the casket and body preparation, and the cemetery. The two coordinators — parish and funeral home — communicate directly so the family doesn't have to relay messages.

Step 3: Select readings and music

The Funeral Mass uses three Scripture readings (Old Testament, Responsorial Psalm, New Testament epistle) plus the Gospel. The Diocese of Dallas approved Order of Christian Funerals provides a list of approximately 30 reading options for each slot. The family can choose, or defer to the priest.

Common reading choices Catholic families select:

• Wisdom 3:1-9: "The souls of the just are in the hand of God" — the most-chosen Old Testament reading
• Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd" — the most-chosen Psalm
• Romans 8:31-35, 37-39: "Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ"
• John 14:1-6: "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places" — common Gospel choice
• Matthew 5:1-12: The Beatitudes
• John 11:21-27: "I am the resurrection and the life"

The family typically appoints two readers from the family for the Old Testament and New Testament readings. The Psalm is sung by the cantor. The Gospel is proclaimed by the priest or deacon.

Music: the parish music director will discuss approved Catholic hymns. Common funeral hymns include "Be Not Afraid," "On Eagle's Wings," "How Great Thou Art," "Be Still My Soul," "Amazing Grace," "Ave Maria," and "Salve Regina." Secular songs (popular music, country songs, pop ballads) are generally not appropriate at Mass; they may be incorporated at the Vigil or at a reception after the Mass.

Step 4: Coordinate the eulogy — or don't

Eulogies at the Funeral Mass are a sensitive topic in the Diocese of Dallas. The Order of Christian Funerals intends the homily to be the reflection on the deceased — not a separate eulogy. Many parishes discourage eulogies during the Mass and instead direct the family to give them at the Vigil the night before, or at a reception after the burial.

Some Diocese of Dallas parishes do allow a brief (3–5 minute) "Words of Remembrance" by a single family member at the conclusion of the Funeral Mass, before the Final Commendation. This must be arranged in advance with the priest celebrant and the parish coordinator. The Words of Remembrance must be reviewed and approved — they should focus on the deceased's faith and Christian witness, not be a comprehensive biographical eulogy.

For full eulogies, the Vigil is the appropriate liturgical setting. Multiple family members may speak. There is more flexibility, more time, and a more intimate atmosphere. Vargas-London hosts Vigils at our chapel at 12101 Greenville Ave. or coordinates them at the family's parish.

Step 5: Catholic cemetery coordination

Calvary Hill Cemetery (3235 Lombardy Lane, Dallas, TX 75220) is the diocesan-affiliated anchor Catholic cemetery for the Diocese of Dallas. It covers approximately 60 acres and offers in-ground burial, mausoleum entombment, and a columbarium for cremated remains. The cemetery has its own pre-need and at-need offices, separate from the funeral home.

For families with no current Catholic cemetery plot, the calls in order:

1. Confirm eligibility. Calvary Hill requires the deceased to be a baptized Catholic in good standing, a non-Catholic spouse/parent/child of a buried Catholic, or a non-Catholic Christian who served the Catholic community.
2. Select a section. Calvary Hill is divided into named sections, each with different price points. Vargas-London helps families compare and tour if needed.
3. Confirm casket and vault requirements. Calvary Hill, like most Catholic cemeteries, requires a vault or grave liner for in-ground burial. Specific casket requirements vary by section.
4. Schedule the Rite of Committal. The cemetery coordinates a graveside service time with the parish priest and the funeral home.
5. Order a monument or marker. This is done after the burial, through Calvary Hill's on-site monument office. Catholic-appropriate iconography (cross, sacred heart, Mary, saint medallions) is standard.

Other Diocese of Dallas Catholic cemeteries: Gates of Heaven Cemetery (Frisco, on the Saint Francis of Assisi parish campus), and Mount Carmel Cemetery (Lewisville). Each has a different geographic catchment and pricing structure. We coordinate with all three.

Hispanic Catholic considerations

The Diocese of Dallas has the largest Hispanic Catholic population of any Texas diocese, with parishes serving Mexican, Salvadoran, Honduran, Guatemalan, Colombian, and other Latin American communities. For Hispanic Catholic families, the funeral coordination has additional cultural elements:

• Rosario at the Vigil — the recitation of the Holy Rosary, typically led by a family member or a member of a parish prayer group, in Spanish or bilingually. This is more than a brief decade; it is the full five Sorrowful Mysteries.
• Misa de cuerpo presente (Mass with the body present) — the Funeral Mass in Spanish, English, or bilingually. Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Sacred Heart offer Spanish-language services daily; most Diocese parishes can arrange bilingual Mass with prior notice.
• Sepelio (graveside service) — the Rite of Committal in Spanish.
• Novenario (nine days of prayer) — held at the family home for the nine days following the funeral, usually with a different family member hosting each evening. The funeral home does not host the Novenario, but we provide novenario prayer cards in Spanish.
• Cabo de año / aniversario — Mass on the one-year anniversary, scheduled with the parish in advance.

Vargas-London coordinates fully bilingual services with no upcharge for Spanish-language coordination. See our dedicated Vigilia rosario guide and our Hispanic Catholic funeral traditions by country guide.