Funerals

CRUSE Bereavement Care has a local number. You can ring at anytime:  01827 64447

When someone dies there are decisions and arrangements to be made. Unfortunately these often have to be made at a time of personal distress.

Here you will find help and guidance about what to do to make arrangements for a funeral service, and how your loved one will be remembered here at Polesworth Abbey at this time and in the months and years ahead.

From the time that we know of your bereavement, your loved one will be remembered in the prayers at Polesworth Abbey. There are daily prayers at 8.30 am and at 6.00 pm as well as the Sunday service at 10.00 am.

If you come to Polesworth Abbey on the Sunday following your bereavement at 10.00 am your loved one will be in the prayers. They will continue to be remembered until the Sunday after the funeral service — whether it has take place in the Abbey or elsewhere. You will be invited to the Annual Remembrance Service.

Funeral services:

You may wish to arrange a funeral service at Polesworth Abbey with burial in the Churchyard. It is usually possible for there to be a competent organist, so favourite hymns and other music can be played. If appropriate, taped music can be played — usually at the beginning or end of the service. Discuss these arrangements with Fr Philip. We can also take full funeral services at Crematorium, or travel with mourners to the crematorium after a service in the Abbey.

You should consider:

• Service in the Abbey with burial in the Churchyard at Polesworth
• Service in the Abbey with cremation at Sutton or Nuneaton Crematorium.
• Full service at Sutton or Nuneaton Crematorium.

It is possible for ashes to be buried in the Churchyard and memorials can be arranged to mark the burial place of cremated remains.

Memorials

You should know that there are stringent rules about Memorials in the Churchyard, which are administered by His Honour Judge Martin Cardinal, the Diocesan Chancellor.

Polesworth Churchyard is very ancient and the rules about memorials are important to keep the peace and character of this lovely place. All memorials require the Chancellor’s permission and burial here does not confer the right to a memorial. It is a good idea to wait a while and consider carefully the most suitable memorial. It is also a good idea to request details from a number of firms. You do not have to purchase a memorial from the undertakers who arrange the funeral. It is usually wise to get quotations for the memorial you have in mind from several firms. Whichever firm you order from will seek the Chancellor’s permission on your behalf and let you know if the Chancellor asks you to reconsider either the design or the wording. He has our best interests at heart, and tries hard to see that memorials here are a fitting tribute and enhance the churchyard for everyone. Some memorials suit the character of a proper churchyard better than others. Memorials that might be allowed in a municipal cemetery may not be suitable in a churchyard.

Laws governing the erection of new stones are laid down by the planning authority. In the case of municipal cemeteries that would be the local council. In the case of churchyards it is the Ecclesiastical Chancellor. Please note that additions to monuments such as kerb stones are definitely forbidden. Churchyard Maintenance Municipal cemeteries are maintained by the local council but churchyards are the Church’ responsibility to maintain. Of course we aim to further conservation in maintaining the Churchyard and a ‘Churchyard Conservation Plan’ is available.

Annual Service of Remembrance In November each year we remember all who have died. Each one of those whose funerals have taken place during the past year and others are commemorated at a short service around the time that the church keeps All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day. You are invited to come with family and friends. The service will last about half-an-hour. I hope it will be a comfort to you to know that your loved one is remembered at this time. The service is on a Saturday evening at 6.00 pm either in late October or early November and comes after the autumns’ ‘Churchyard Day’ when people are invited to help prepare the Churchyard for the winter months. There is a similar day, usually on the Saturday before Mothering Sunday.

Memorial Book

We would like to include the name of your loved one in the Memorial Book. This book stands in a quiet part of the Abbey Church and the pages are turned to show names on the anniversary day of their death. We find that it is helpful to know that the name is recorded, and others can be commemorated here, even if they are not buried in the Churchyard or if their funeral service took place elsewhere. There are candles to light and a place for memories.

The pain of grief is often hard, but our faith in God helps us in our sorrow.

For the months ahead:

• It takes longer than you think
• A dark cloud of sadness can come down suddenly
• Relationships continue, we miss people terribly
• It helps to talk
• Jesus promises everlasting life: “Nothing can separate us from the love of God”. In moments of extreme sadness it helps to pray. Use the prayer page on this website.