By Tricia Hempel

For centuries, cremation was forbidden for Catholics. But in 1963, that changed, and Catholics could opt for cremation if the body was still present for a funeral Mass and cremation occurred later, or if a Memorial Mass was celebrated without the body.

Then, in 1997, the American bishops received an indult that permitted the presence of cremated remains at the funeral Mass, and today, cremation is quickly becoming a preferred option for many Catholics, particularly those with a mind toward ecology and even economy.

COURTESY PHOTO

A cherry wood box with a removable cross is available from the Benedictine monks of St. Meinrad Abbey.

Arranging a cremation is not so different from arranging a traditional funeral: first, you will need to contact a funeral director. And an appendix to the church's Order of Christian Funerals outlines what should occur when the cremation takes place after the funeral liturgy, when both the cremation and committal take place before the funeral liturgy and when the funeral liturgy occurs in the presence of cremated remains.

But options do exist, and many of these can be explored in a pre-planning process. For a funeral Mass with cremated remains present, the funeral home will offer to provide a case (for the remains), but families are permitted to purchase their own receptacle, just as they are permitted to purchase their own caskets. The church recommends "a worthy vessel."

We've written previously about the simple and beautifully constructed caskets made by several orders of religious men throughout the United States. But many Catholics may not be aware that these orders also make cremation urns.

The Benedictine monks of 160-year-old St. Meinrad Abbey in Indiana have been making caskets since 1999, and in recent years they have added wooden cremation urns in cherry, walnut, oak and poplar to their catalog and website. Proceeds from the sales support the 100 or so monks who reside at St. Meinrad. Each handmade urn bears a plaque with the inscription, "May He bring us all together to everlasting life," from the Rule of St. Benedict, and a removable wooden cross which can be hung on a wall following internment of the urn. The wooden urns are made to hold the remains of either one or two adults, as with the "companion" urn. Prices range from $225 for the single to $245 for the companion urn.

The Trappist monks in Iowa offer a ceramic urn for internment of cremains.

The website also includes a certificate of intent, which is a non-binding document that enables people to indicate their final wishes regarding the future purchase of an Abbey Casket. It's a wonderful document to complete and store with your other information about funeral preferences. Additionally, urns may be purchased in advance and stored. The website also contains good information about funeral planning, consumer rights and responsibilities.

The Benedictine monks of Chicago have been creating Monastery Caskets, available at www.monasterycaskets.com , also since 1999. Interestingly, this order creates either the rectangular casket most used in the United States, or the European-style shaped casket, also used to bury the monks themselves.

Their wooden burial urns are available in cherry finish for $225, and the website reminds interested persons that the United States Federal Trade Commission has established a "Funeral Rule," under which a funeral home or mortuary may not refuse or charge a fee to handle a casket or urn that a consumer purchases elsewhere. Monks of the community have used this service for deceased family members and report no difficulty in arranging the use of a monastery-crafted casket. All details related to the purchase and delivery are handled by the monks with the selected funeral provider.

Trappist Caskets are the work of the Cistercian monks living in New Melleray Abbey in Iowa (www.trappistcaskets. com). In addition to their regular prayer and study, casket- and urn-making are considered to be an extension of the monks' sacred work. Each Trappist casket reflects the values of the men who made it; integrity, simplicity and reverence for nature, and much of the wood comes from the monks' own forests, where the monks plant 125 new trees for every tree they harvest.

Their website is fascinating, with much information available about the Cistercian traditions of simplicity in living and dying; Cistercian death and dying; the funeral of a Cistercian monk; and the Catholic Church and death and dying, including valuable information about the sacrament of the sick and dying, and funeral rites. The site also includes a pre-need order form. Both the caskets are urns are understated, with vintage, old-world joinery used in their craftsmanship. "It is our hope that the work of our hands will help nourish a return to a dignified spirituality of death," the website explains.

The Trappists also offer the traditional rectangular caskets, beginning at $1,925; shaped caskets at $1,695, and the very simple shaped caskets, similar to what the monks themselves are buried in, beginning at $975. All caskets purchased with crosses are blessed by one of the monks at the abbey, as are the wooden cremation urns, which are $245 and $295. A ceramic urn, unique to this order, is available for $245.

Pre-planning and even pre-purchase of a cremation vessel will insure that funeral plans will run more smoothly. The "cremains" can be received at the door of the church, with the ashes then sprinkled with holy water and brought up to the front of the church, where there is usually a table and the lit paschal candle, just as would occur with a casket.

The prayers are adapted slightly for a funeral with cremains: Instead of praying "In the waters of baptism ___ died with Christ and rose with Him to new life. May he/she now share with Him eternal glory," the celebrant prays. "As our brother/sister ___ has died with the Lord, so may he/she live with Him in glory." For the committal prayer at the cemetery or columbarium, the words "earthly remains" replace the word "body." (A columbarium is a vault with niches for urns containing cremated remains.)

The white pall that drapes a coffin during the funeral Mass is eliminated for cremated remains. And at the end of Mass, a family member or someone else usually carries out the remains.

As noted, many Catholic cemeteries now have special sections for burying or entombing cremated remains. The church does not encourage the scattering of loose ashes or of preserving urns on a mantleplace or elsewhere in a home.

The Trappist monks also offer traditional rectangular caskets and European shaped caskets in a variety of woods and finishes.