Funeral Pall
When a funeral is celebrated with a body and casket, the body is draped with a large, white funeral pall. This white pall is a sign of our Christian dignity, washed clean and clothed with a white garment in our baptism. When an infant is baptized, the preist prays that the newly baptized may bring the white garment "unstained" into the heavenly kingdom. At a funeral we symbolize this with the pall. If your loved one is cremated, there will be no pall, however the significance of the while baptismal garment remains.
Easter Candle
At a funeral the Easter Candle is placed prominently at the front of the Church. It is blessed each year late at night before Easter Sunday. At the Easter Vigil, the faithful gather outside the church around a fire, and the candle is decorated with nuggets of incense, blessed, and lit for the first time. This large candle is burned throughout the Easter Season, at baptisms, and at funerals. It is a symbol of the light of Christ, which shattered the darkness of death and leads all to hope and life.
Incense
Near the end of the funeral Mass, the priest will incense the casket or urn while all sing a commendation sometimes called "The Song of Farewell." The church incenses things that are holy, and the body of the Christian is holy. This is the body that was baptized, served others, recieved holy communion, spoke words of kindness and recieved the gospel. Not a mere shell, we believe that the body will be resurrected by Christ on the last day. We honor that body with incnese and pray that like incense, both body and soul will rise to heaven to enjoy the glory of God forever.