Planning a funeral
Your local parish church is there for local people
and we do all we can to make the occasion personal to their loved ones.
It is usual for you to contact one of the local
funeral directors who will then make the arrangements with church and the
crematorium or cemetery for you. Once
the service is booked then the vicar will contact you to arrange for her to
visit you.
Some people find planning the funeral with family
and friends helps in their grieving. Perhaps you already know something of what
your loved one wanted. You may even have planned the service together some time
ago.
If you are uncertain the vicar can help you choose
suitable readings, hymns and prayers. If they did not know your loved one well,
they will want to talk with you to build up a picture of the person's life. This will usually only take only one meeting and
it often helps if you can give some thought to what you want to say about their
life.
Some deaths will be especially traumatic,
distressing or unexpected. The Church has special funerals for children, or
after sudden or violent deaths, including suicide. Talk with your minister
about what is possible.
For more information regarding Church of England
funerals, go to
http://www.churchofengland.org/weddings-baptisms-funerals/funerals/the-funeral-service.aspx
After the funeral
In many cases, arranging a
funeral keeps people so busy that they don't feel their loss fully until
afterwards.
At St Michael’s there is an
annual Memorial service to remember those who have died. Those who have been bereaved tell us that
they have found that attending these has been a real comfort and help. We light a candle to represent each of the
people who have died as their names are read out.
Those named are from the
funerals taken by the vicar at any of the team churches or the Crematoria
during the preceding year as well as other names submitted. If you would like a name adding to the list
then please ask.
Bereavement support networks,
such as Cruse, can be very helpful. There are also special organisations for
people who are bereaved young or who have lost a child or unborn child, or who
are bereaved by suicide or violence.