Catholic funeral in Tbilisi - priest, Requiem Mass and the rite at the graveside

Three stages of a Catholic funeral

The Catholic order of Christian funerals usually has three parts, which may take place in different locations and at different times:

1. Vigil prayers with the body: at the house or in a funeral hall, where family and friends gather to pray and remember the person who has died. The prayers are led by a priest or a member of the parish.
2. Requiem Mass: in church, with the coffin present. During the Mass the coffin is covered with a white pall, the Paschal candle burns beside it, and the priest sprinkles the coffin with holy water and incenses it.
3. Rite of committal: at the cemetery the priest blesses the grave, says the final prayer, and the coffin is lowered.

Sometimes, for instance when the church is far away or the family is small, a short prayer service in the hall or at the graveside replaces the Mass. The priest decides on the form together with the family.

What we handle for you

• Contact with the parish: we get in touch with the priest and agree the times of the Mass and the burial, and if the family has no priest of its own, we help find one.
• Preparing the body: hygienic preparation, dressing in clothing chosen by the family, and a rosary or cross placed in the hands if the family wishes.
• Coffin and ceremonial items: a coffin with a Catholic cross, a white pall for the Mass, candles.
• Transport: a hearse carrying the coffin to church and afterwards to the graveyard, plus a bus for guests.
• Cemetery: the plot, the permit, grave preparation and pallbearers.
• Wake: if the family is holding a traditional Georgian memorial meal (kelekhi), which is usual for Georgian Catholics.

Funeral formats and prices

How much to give the parish as a donation, and how to thank the organist or choir, is entirely up to you, and that amount does not appear on our bill. The cemetery plot fee is set by the municipality and paid against an official receipt.

Vigil prayers: preparing the space

Before the Mass, family and friends often gather around their loved one to pray together, frequently saying the rosary. At home we prepare the room for this: the coffin on a wooden stand, a cross or crucifix at the head, two to four tall candles, a small vessel of holy water with which visitors sprinkle the coffin, and chairs for older guests. In a funeral hall the same elements are set out, and if a priest or parish member is leading the prayers, we keep a place for them beside the coffin. We agree the arrangement with the family, because every family has its own customs.

From the church to the cemetery

After the Mass, the pallbearers carry the coffin out of the church, and the priest, if he is coming to the cemetery, travels with the family. Within the city, the journey from church to cemetery usually takes half an hour to an hour, and a bus carries the family and guests. At the cemetery the grave is already prepared, with an awning and chairs in place. The priest blesses the grave and reads the final prayer, and the family throws earth or flowers onto the coffin before the gravediggers fill in the grave.

Music at the Mass

Many Catholic families would like the Requiem Mass to be accompanied by organ, choir or a soloist. Some churches have their own organist and choir; for others, a musician has to be invited. We find out from the parish what is available and offer the family options: traditional Latin chant, hymns in the family's own language, or sacred music their loved one was fond of, provided the priest approves. The choice of music is agreed with the priest, because it forms part of the liturgy.

Cremation and the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church permits cremation but prefers traditional burial, and it requires the ashes to be placed in a consecrated resting place - a grave or a columbarium - rather than scattered or kept at home. As a rule, the Requiem Mass is celebrated before cremation, with the coffin present, although in some cases it can be held with the ashes. If the family chooses cremation, we plan both stages: the Mass and the cremation, followed by the burial of the ashes with the priest's prayers. We explain the conditions and timing of cremation to the family in advance.

A priest in the last days of life

Catholic families often want a priest to visit a seriously ill relative while they are still alive, to hear confession and give the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. This is a matter for the parish, not the funeral home, but families frequently ask us who to turn to, especially if they have only recently moved to Tbilisi and do not yet know the parish. In that case we help them find a contact, and if the family is thinking about a funeral plan in advance, we talk it through calmly and without pressure.

Families of mixed faith

Many Georgian Catholic families are mixed: one spouse is Catholic and the other Orthodox, or the children were baptised in different churches. The ceremony then often brings together elements of both traditions: Mass in a Catholic church, and the wake and the 40th-day memorial (ormotsi) in the Georgian way. We do not decide which rite is better; that is for the family and, where needed, the clergy of both churches. Our task is to bring both parts together into one well-ordered day, so that everyone taking part feels respected.

Foreign Catholics living in Georgia

Some of the foreigners living in Tbilisi, for instance people from Italy, Poland or the Philippines, are Catholic. When such a person dies in Georgia, the family has two options: burial here or repatriation to their home country. We help with either. For a burial here, we contact a parish where the Mass can be said in the family's language or in Latin; for repatriation, we prepare all the documents, the apostille and the consular permit. Some families do both: a Mass in Tbilisi and burial at home.

Days of remembrance

In Catholic tradition, Masses are often offered for the dead, especially on the thirtieth day and on the anniversary, and on 2 November, All Souls' Day, families visit the graves, tidy them and light candles. Georgian Catholics often also mark the 40th day in the Georgian manner. For these days we prepare the grave, bring flowers and candles, and, if the family is hosting a meal, organise the table.

The headstone

A Catholic headstone is usually decorated with a Latin cross, and the inscription may be in Georgian, the family's own language or Latin, for example the traditional words "Requiescat in pace" - rest in peace. The stone often features the Virgin Mary or an angel, and sometimes a candle holder is placed on the grave, to be lit on 2 November and on other days. Our craftsmen prepare the design together with the family and, if needed, with the priest.

Frequently asked questions