Funerals and bereavement support
Last Updated (Wednesday, 29 December 2010 22:39)
Funerals and Bereavement Support
A death is always a major event in the lives of the bereaved and help from the church is often appreciated. At St Nicolas, we endeavour to ensure that either one of the clergy or one of our Licensed Lay Ministers (Reader) is available to meet with you and to take the funeral service of a loved one. These services can take place either in the church itself or at a local Crematorium or Cemetery. In the first instance following a death, contact is usually made with a local Funeral Director. The Funeral Director takes responsibility for making all the practical arrangements concerning a funeral, including liaison with the local churches. Once we have been asked to take a service, we will contact you with a view to meeting and discussing the funeral service. We will always try to accommodate your wishes for the service and welcome suggestions as to what you would like included. Approximately six weeks after the funeral, a member of our Bereavement Team will be in touch with you. If it is helpful to you, they will arrange to meet with you. In addition to their contact, twice in the year following bereavement we will invite you to our biannual memorial service (usually in May and November). This is an opportunity to continue to give thanks for the person who has died, to pray, and to be with others who have also been recently bereaved. We always offer light refreshments following the service. At St Nicolas, we have what is called a ‘closed’ churchyard. This means that we are unable to provide space for burials unless a double plot already exists and has not yet been filled. However, we do have space for the interment of cremated remains and we are always willing to include the names of those who have died in the Book of Remembrance which is available for viewing in the church. The fact that we can generally no longer provide for burials does not mean that we cannot provide a funeral service in church. This is still possible, followed by a committal elsewhere.