Funeral Servers Share Compassion as Stewards of Service and Mercy

While Funeral Masses are a time of grief, honoring the earthly life of someone who has died, we also look to the joy of the Resurrection as we entrust the departed to the grace and mercy of our loving God. Funeral Masses are a balm that helps the healing process for those who are grieving. Since funerals are scheduled quickly, it takes the willing and generous help of many hands to make them happen.

Funeral servers assist the priest as he celebrates Mass. It is a humble but meaningful role. For Dale Zimmerman, a parishioner at SS. Mary and Hyacinth, serving at funerals is an opportunity to give back, and he always finds that he is deeply impacted in turn.

“When you are doing something that is for the community, it makes you feel more involved,” Dale says. “It makes you feel closer to that family that you might not have known. When I listen to the homily and what that person went through in their life, I cry at a lot of them. It brings us back to how important life is.”

Before serving at funerals as an adult, Dale had been an altar server in elementary school. He remembers enjoying it back then, so when he heard that the parish has a difficult time finding servers who are available on short notice for funerals, he volunteered. He found that his memories of altar serving came back to him. Dale sometimes uses his lunch break from work to serve at funerals. It’s a small sacrifice to him because he finds so much meaning in what he does.

“I think it’s very important that when someone dies, they are sent off properly,” he says. “Funerals should be done correctly and well out of respect for the person that died. I know serving makes the priest’s job so much easier.”

When Dale talks with others about serving at funeral Masses, he encounters some hesitancy. He offers to serve alongside anyone nervous about it, reassuring them that they’ll get more out of their experience than they put into it. For those who feel too old to start something new, Dale has simple encouragement.

“You’re never too old to serve God,” he says.

Whether it’s a funeral Mass, a Saturday Mass, ushering, or distributing Communion, Dale has found that stewardship through participation and service takes his experience to another level. By going in with an open heart and asking God for all the graces in store for him, Dale has a hard time putting into words the good his involvement does for his soul.

“When you participate in the Mass, you’re doing that little bit extra that will make you feel totally different and more appreciative of being at Mass,” he says. “It’s an honor — you’re not just serving God, you’re serving the people. If you put yourself, your thoughts, and everything into it before Mass and pray for it, it comes.”

learn more about serving at funerals, contact Fr. Joel Sember at the parish office at 715-623-2024.

Dale Zimmerman serving Mass with Fr. Joel