Funerals

Death is a difficult time. We want to do all that we can to help those who are bereaved.

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. The funeral can be a small, quiet ceremony or a large occasion in a packed church.

Everyone is entitled to a funeral service by their local parish priest regardless of whether they attended church or not. Your parish priest will be sensitive to the personal beliefs of the deceased and of the family, but will speak of the hope of the Resurrection and of loved ones being reunited in the time to come.

The first thing to do is to choose a Funeral Directors. The funeral directors will make all the arrangements for you, and contact the priest. But, please do contact the Benefice Administrator or a member of our clergy team if you want more information.

Some of the churches in the Benefice have open churchyards, available for burials or there are municipal cemeteries, or the option of cremation at the King's Lynn, Breckland or West Suffolk crematoria. Or the whole service can take place at the Crematorium led by an authorized member of the ministry team. One advantage of a service conducted in Church is that it is free of the time constraints placed on services conducted at the crematorium.

The minister will visit you before the service to explain the service to you, and talk over what hymns and readings you may want and to get to know the family and hold you in the Church's prayers. The minister will also usually visit after the service (normally a week later) to see if there is anything else that the Church can do for you.