New guidelines on the celebration of funeral Masses on Sundays have been issued to parishes across the Diocese of Waterford & Lismore.

In a letter circulated by Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, all parishes are asked to avoid such practices.

This decision follows a recent meeting of the Senate of Priests, where clergy shared their growing difficulty in managing the pastoral and liturgical demands of Sunday funerals.

The new guideline encourages that, as a general rule, funerals should not take place on Sundays.

However, Bishop Cullinan recognises that “exceptional pastoral circumstances” —such as cemetery closures—may warrant flexibility.

The main reasons cited for this change include:

• The impact on regular Sunday Mass-goers, who may feel a funeral is being added to or overshadowing the normal liturgy.
• The difficulty of giving a homily that appropriately reflects both the Sunday readings and the funeral context.
• Overcrowding in churches and the risk of a family’s bereavement being diminished within the larger Sunday celebration.
• The added strain on clergy already committed to multiple Sunday Masses and other sacraments.
• The current shortage of priests in the diocese.

The Diocese held 1,176 funerals in 2024. According to the Diocese, this underscores “the significant workload borne by parish clergy—particularly over weekends when Sunday Masses, baptisms, and other responsibilities are already scheduled.”

Bishop Cullinan notes that many parishes have already adopted a policy of not scheduling Sunday funerals. He expresses his hope that the faithful will “understand the pastoral and practical reasons behind this new diocesan norm.”

The letter is available to read below ⬇

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