(note spelling mistake - WortgottesdienIST!!)

Wortgottesdienst nennt man in der katholischen Kirche sowohl den ersten Teil einer Heiligen Messe als auch einen separaten Gottesdienst ohne Eucharistiefeier, in dem die Sakramente der Taufe und Eheschließung gespendet werden. Zu den Wortgottesdiensten zählen aber auch Andachten und die Tagzeitenliturgie.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wortgottesdienst

In a normal Roman catholic "mass" this would be the Liturgy of the Word (after the introductory rites, before the eucharist/communion etc.) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_(liturgy)

There are different options for weddings, funerals etc - as it says above without the eucharist/communion etc. but dont think theres an official name in EN - just see things like "outside of mass" or without holy communion etc.

I guess that thats whats being referred to here, but agree with Stephanie that something like memorial service is fine.

Es gibt für die kirchliche Beerdigung zwei Formen:

1. Die Beerdigung im Wortgottesdienst.
Dies ist eine schlichtere, aber keine unwürdige Form der Beerdigung und setzt sich
in unseren Pfarreien immer mehr durch.
2. Die Beerdigung im Seelenamt.
Zu der Wortgottesdienstfeier tritt hier noch die heilige Messe. Ein Seelenamt
empfiehlt sich, wenn die Angehörigen regelmäßig in die Messe gehen und mit
der Feier des Todes und der Auferstehung Jesu vertraut sind.
http://www.se-aachtal.de/html/beerdigung461.html?t=

Der Aufbau des Wortgottesdienstes
Der Wortgottesdienst beginnt erst nachdem Kyrie, Gloria und das Tagesgebet voruber sind. Diese Teile der Messe gehoren zur Eroffnung, und sind nicht Teil des Wortgottesdienstes.
http://www.itp.uni-hannover.de/~flohr/papers/aachen7.pdf

The Mass is made up of two parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. There are also certain rites that open and conclude the celebration...The rites preceding the Liturgy of the Word, namely the Entrance, Greeting, Act of Penitence, Kyrie, Gloria, and Collect, have the character of a beginning, introduction, and preparation.
http://www.santorosario.net/english/mass/2.htm

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Note added at 1 hr (2013-02-27 17:30:07 GMT)
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Funeral Liturgy
This is the main celebration of the Christian com-
munity for the deceased person. It is usually cel-
ebrated in the parish church where the local
community gathers for the Sunday Eucharist.
Sometimes people may celebrate the Funeral Lit-
urgy in a crematorium or cemetery chapel. Two
forms are possible: a funeral Mass, (also called the
Requiem Mass) or a funeral liturgy outside Mass.
The Church encourages a Mass since the eucharist
remembers and celebrates Christ’s own death and
resurrection. However, while the eucharist is our
central liturgy, it is not always the best option for
every funeral. To celebrate a funeral without Mass
is a truly valid form of Catholic worship.
http://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Resources/OCF/FuneralsGuide....

But who would say and who would understand an invitation to a "funeral liturgy outside Mass?" A service in memory of/a memorial service still seems the best to me.

@orla- regarding funeral, there <is> a difference as well defined here
http://elegantmemorials.com/memorial-service-ideas/funeral-o...
Funeral Service or Memorial Service
There are several differences between a Funeral Service or a Memorial Service. Both celebrate and honor the life of a loved one. A Funeral Service is more traditional while a Memorial Service tends to be more non-traditional. The body of the deceased will be present at the Funeral Service, and the Funeral will usually occur within a few days of the individuals’ death. At the discretion of the family, a funeral will have an open casket ceremony (where the body can be viewed) or a closed casket ceremony. Funeral Services tend to be more expensive since they usually involve the purchase and display of a casket, transportation of the body to the church and burial ground, as well as embalming (the dressing and preparing of the body for viewing).

A Funeral Service involves a Funeral Director and a Funeral Home, which can be a source of comfort to the family as they are very experienced in the grieving process and handle the supplies and logistics of the funeral. Funeral Services are becoming increasingly personalized. Funeral Homes and Directors will often offer funeral programs, keepsakes and other personalized options to help uniquely honor your loved one. Most Funeral Directors will be flexible and open to any ideas you may have to personalize the funeral service of your loved one.

A Memorial Service also pays tribute to the life of the deceased; however, the body of the person that has died is not present. Since there is no body present, it allows the Memorial Service to be held at a variety of locations. The Memorial Service can occur days, weeks, even months after the person died. Memorial Services are becoming increasingly popular as people are looking for more unique and personal ways to celebrate the life of their loved one. They are more economical as they do not involve embalming, caskets, urns, or transportation. The Funeral Home will still handle either the cremation or burial of the body, and can participate in any part of the Memorial Service deemed appropriate by the family. Traditionally, the family and friends of the deceased tend to be very involved in the planning of a Memorial Service optimizing its personalization.

Also a spoken service, spoken liturgy or spoken word service is normally music-free http://www.edgebrooklutheran.org/spoken_word; http://www.boultonchurch.org.uk/Services/servtimes.html (at least in my experience which is of non-Catholic churches)

As the German Wortgottesdienst
Wortgottesdienst, christliche Kirchen: ein Gottesdienst, in dessen Mittelpunkt die Verkündigung des Wortes Gottes (Lesung aus der Heiligen Schrift, Predigt) steht; in der katholischen Kirche der erste Hauptteil der Messe, das gemeinsam verrichtete Stundengebet und liturgische Andachten. In den evangelischen Kirchen hat jeder Gottesdienst sein Zentrum in der Verkündigung (Predigt) des Wortes Gottes. Die Form des Wortgottesdienstes haben auch ökumenische Gottesdienste.http://universal_lexikon.deacademic.com/320790/Wortgottesdie...
is the service without Communion, this service is imo simply a memorial service