Our Bereavement Ministry
A funeral marks the end of a life’s journey here on earth. Family and friends come together to express their grief, celebrate the deceased person’s life and commend them into God’s care. There can be a small, quiet ceremony or a large occasion in a packed church.
A church service is available for everyone.
Download a leaflet about arranging a funeral at Christ Church at the bottom of the page.
Our ministry extends beyond this simple final act as we also recognise the value of providing support, encouragement and friendship to the bereaved. We also help those who are dying, prepare for their death and conduct memorial services to give comfort to those who are left behind.
If you would like to talk to someone from the church about arranging a funeral at Christ Church, please contact us and we will arrange to come and meet you. Parish Office 01793 522832 or [email protected]
We also have a number of options for those wishing to remember a loved one
The Remembrance Garden
Our Remembrance Garden is a sunny, lawned area on the South East of the church. It is a pleasant and peaceful place to sit and remember your loved ones.
Ashes are buried in the Garden in a short service with prayers of thanksgiving for the lives of those who have died. They are placed directly into the ground and, in time, combined with the earth around them. The place where they have been buried is carefully recorded. Depending on the timing, should you wish it, it may be possible for the ashes of a spouse to be interred in the same place at a later date.
To maintain the special nature of the Remembrance Garden, no plaques, plants, ornaments, pots or artificial flowers may be placed on it. Cut flowers, removed from plastic or other wrapping, may be placed in our special vases. These will be removed periodically.
Our Memory Book
Your loved one’s name will be recorded in our Memory Books which are in the glass cases outside the Lady Chapel. The church is open daily during daylight hours- you will find the Memory books just inside the wooden door beside the garden. If you are not able to visit, our Virtual Memory page remembers those who have died on that day. You can visit it here.
To find out how you can put your loved one’s ashes in the Remembrance Garden, contact our Parish Administrator Carol on 01793 522832 or [email protected]
If you would like someone to talk to about your bereavement, or any other spiritual matter, please contact our Vicar, Simon Stevenette, on Swindon 529166 or [email protected]
The Jubilee Memorial Garden
For more than 50 years, the Rose Garden at Christ Church has been the final resting place for the ashes of more than 1,300 local people. Even now that it is closed to new interments, it remains a centre for remembrance and consolation for many local families. Many of the departed are remembered by small plaques but many more are unmarked, except in the memory of those who knew them. It remains a key part of our bereavement ministry to our local community. You can search our burial database to find your family names. The prefix RG denotes a rose garden burial.
For some years now, it has become difficult to maintain the Garden due to poor soil quality, old and diseased plants and self-seeded and relative-planted shrubs and flowers. Volunteer labour is also difficult to obtain. This has led to the garden becoming unkempt and neglected-looking.
Last year we began a project to revitalise the garden and to create a beautiful, more manageable and safer place for families to visit and remember. You can read more about the project and its progress here. We have renamed the garden in honour of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Whilst the garden is closed for new burials, it may be possible for spouses or close family members to be buried here with their loved ones when the time comes.
We also recognise that some families may wish to place simple memorials to their loved ones who are buried elsewhere. The Jubilee Memorial Garden offers an opportunity to place a small memorial plaque to create a place to visit and remember.
To ensure uniformity of appearance, we recommend that you purchase your plaque from Arkell and Hurcombe Tel 07765 366572 or [email protected]
Please contact us before placing an order to avoid any disappointment later. If you would like to know more about our Memorial Gardens then please contact us Tel 01793 522832 or [email protected]
If you would like someone to talk to about your bereavement, or any other spiritual matter, please contact our Vicar, Simon Stevenette, on Swindon 529166 or [email protected]
Floodlighting at Christ Church
Did you know that you can sponsor the floodlighting of Christ Church to remember a loved one, mark a special day or anniversary? For just £30, the church can be floodlit from 6pm or dusk (whichever is later) until midnight on any night of the year. See who is being remembered.