‘I am the resurrection and the life,’ says the Lord. ‘Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.’ 

When you lose a loved one, your parish church is there to support you, whether or not you attend our church.  We aim to offer funerals which are sensitive to the wishes of the family and the deceased person and which celebrate their lives appropriately as we say goodbye. Our funeral service is full of hope, for we believe in life beyond death and the hope of Jesus Christ, but we understand that this is a painful time and we are there to support you.

“Grief is like glitter – you can throw a handful of glitter into the air, but when you try to clean it up, you never get it all. Even long after the event, you will still find glitter tucked into the corners. It will always be there somewhere…”

For more information contact the Vicar, or speak to your funeral director about having a Christian funeral, either in church or in a crematorium.  If you would like to have your funeral in church, you will have a beautiful setting and lovely music as you remember your loved one.  It is not expensive and we will try to make the funeral a memorable and holy occasion.

“Grief, I have learned, is really just love. It is all the love you want to give but cannot. All the unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love, with no place to go.”

 Funerals can now be held in church. Church of England Clergy can also offer prayers at a funeral at the crematorium or graveside.  Do get in touch through your funeral director if you would like to arrange a religious service.

The Church of England has provided some prayers and other materials that you can use at home if you would like to remember a loved one, but are not able to attend the funeral.  You can find these here.

Burial of Ashes: Ashes can be buried in St Matthews Garden of Remembrance.  It is possible to arrange a memorial service in church to remember and celebrate the life of a loved one, and to allow those who were not able to attend the funeral to say goodbye. Do contact us if you would like to arrange this.

There is an Annual Memorial Service held in the church to remember those who have died. This is held early in November each year and is an opportunity to remember loved ones, hear their names read out and reflect on those we have lost. Please check our upcoming events page for the date of this service or if you would like to receive an invitation nearer the time, please email us at: stmatthewsborstal@gmail.com

For more information please get in touch via our Contact Us page.