Funerals

Our two parish churches are here to serve our community and it is our privilege to be able to offer you a Christian funeral service in either of our churches. This is the case even if the service is to be followed by cremation.

A funeral is used to mark the end of a person's life here on earth. Family and friends come together to express grief, give thanks for the life lived and commend the person into God's keeping. These can be a small, quiet ceremony or a large occasion in a packed church. Everyone is entitled to have a funeral in church, to be buried or to have their ashes buried in their local parish churchyard by their local parish priest regardless of whether they attended church or not. Speak to Fr David for more information.

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. The minister who will lead the service will help you choose suitable hymns and readings. 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 may take only one meeting but sometimes it can be more.

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 Fr David about what is possible.

If you want to find out more about the types of memorial that can be permitted in churchyards, open the Diocese of Gloucester's Churchyard Regulations guidance.