ÿþ<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0//en"> <html> <head> <meta name="description"content="Site to visit our church founded 1850, friendly rural Catholic Church located in a country setting."> <meta name="keywords" content="four corners, catholic, church, North Vernon, Indiana, Hayden, religion, Southern Indiana, 47265,"> </head> <body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="black" alink="black" vlink="black"> <A Name="top"> <A HREF="#bottom">Bottom</A> <div align="center"> <head><h3>St. Joseph Catholic Church</h3> 1875 S C R 700 W <br> North Vernon, IN 47265</head> <p> <h3>Rev. Jonathan P. Meyer, Administrator</h3> <h3>Office Hours:</h3> Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 1 PM - 5 PM<p> St. Joseph Rectory Phone: 812-346-4783 <br> Fax: 812-352-9033 <p> <a href="mailto:rectory@stjoefourcorners.org">Contact Office</a> <p> </div align="center"> <h3>Ask Fr. Meyer </h3> <a href="mailto:rectory@stjoefourcorners.org">Send Your Questions</a> <p> <p> <h3>Are we allowed to be cremated?</h3> <li>A recent survey showed that about 21 percent of Catholics choose cremation. The new Code of Canon Law issued in 1983 said the church "earnestly recommends" the custom of bodily interment but does not prohibit cremation unless it is done for reasons "contrary to Christian teaching." So, cremation is not prohibited unless it is chosen for reasons "contrary to Christian teaching," the Church s preference would be that there be a body burial. Why is this: ª%-God created us body and soul beings ª%We believe the body is sacred from conception to natural death ª%Jesus took on a human body to redeem the human body ª%-Jesus gave us His body and blood in the Eucharist ª%-Jesus died for our salvation in a body ª%Jesus resurrected in a human body ª%-Jesus ascended into heaven in a human body ª%The Virgin Mary was assumed into heaven- body and soul ª%We profess a belief in the resurrection of our body ª%We believe our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit ª%-We believe we will be in heaven with our body for all eternity The BODY is central to the Christian Faith! Even when cremation is chosen, the cremated remains of a deceased individual must be treated with respect and integrity. Cremated remains only may be buried in a cemetery or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium. They are not to be scattered, kept in the home or buried in an unauthorized cemetery. Burial at sea is permitted, but cremated remains must be placed in a solid and durable container and not scattered. Here is a quote from Archbishop Sheehan, "Especially to be condemned are the practices of scattering the ashes, enclosing them in jewelry, dividing them among relatives as keepsakes or doing other bizarre things with them, such practices do not give honor to the body and, indirectly, are an affront to our belief in the resurrection of the dead. Keeping ashes at home so that family members  may feel close to their loved ones  shows a lack of faith in the communion of saints, by which we are spiritually united to the departed, in a way far more marvelous than keeping their remains on a shelf in our house ." If one is cremated they are to be cremated AFTER the funeral Mass. There should be a viewing of the body for mourners, if possible. Viewing the body is part of the natural mourning process. It brings finality and a sense of peace to many. Since 1997, the U.S. bishops have had permission from the Vatican, in cases where the body has been cremated prior to the funeral Mass, to allow the cremated remains to be present at the funeral Mass. But this is a special permission. There are nations where this is not allowed. All said and done: ª%Yes, you can be cremated. ª%However, your BODY should be present at the church for the funeral Mass. ª%The cremation should take place after the funeral Mass. ª%The cremated remains should be treated as a body: they need to be buried or placed in a mausoleum. <p> <A HREF="#top">Back to Top</A> <A Name="bottom"> </body> </html>