Funerals
The loss of a loved one can be a tragedy or a blessed relief from suffering, and grief is a natural and healthy response. Despite this grief, we don’t despair, as death can become an opportunity to hope in the eternal happiness of heaven both for themselves and their departed loved one.
The funeral mass gives us a profound opportunity to express this hope in God’s love and mercy. The primary reason that we have funerals for those who have died is to pray for them. We pray for the repose of their soul, that their soul may be purified so they might enter into their heavenly homeland.
Through our prayer to God for our departed loved one, we also find the solace of God’s love and mercy in the midst of our grief. While prayer will not make grief disappear or magically take away the pain, through prayer we find that we are not alone in our grief – God too allowed his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer His own crucifixion and death for the sake of our salvation. By entering into this suffering with Jesus Christ, we find that our own suffering and grief are manageable. Funeral Support
A funeral is a very important event for any family. It provides a vital stage in the grieving process, it is a chance to say goodbye to the person you love, and is also an opportunity to reflect on the life of the person who has died.
We are here to help you through the process of organising either a funeral or a memorial service and will try to help you through difficult times. We are here to offer help and support, practical advice and pastoral care for you and your family.
Holy Bond of Unity
We in the Parish of The Holy Family want to do everything we can to help you through this difficult and painful time.
The information on this page is a guide to making arrangements for a funeral in our parish.
We also have a local Parish Loss and Bereavement Group, who will not only pray for you but are ready to help in any way on the day of the funeral and afterwards.
I hope, that in making your funeral arrangements, the following information might be of help.
Fr Liam Cummins
To Make Arrangements
Who to contact:
To make arrangements for a funeral at St. Josephs, St. Elizabeths, please contact Father Ephraim Odhiambo directly: eodhiambo@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk
Tel: 07785 727951
To make arrangements for a funeral at St. Edmund Campion, please contact Father Liam Cummins directly: lcummins@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk
Tel: 07776 580596
To make arrangements for a funeral at St. Thomas More, please contact Father Kevin Hughes directly: khughes@portstmouthdiocese.org.uk
Tel: 07941 528933
All Sacraments Need Preparation
The Service
The normal practice for a Catholic funeral is to have a Requiem Mass followed by a burial or cremation.
Loss and Bereavement support group
ou are bereaved and would find it helpful to talk with one of us, or share with other grieving members of the Parish, you would be most welcome.
St. Joseph’s and St Elizabeth’s: Hosted at St. Edmund Campion: Meet on the second Sunday each month between 2:30pm and 5.00pm.
St. Edmund Campion: Meet on the second Sunday each month between 2:30pm and 5.00pm in the Parish Centre.
Matthew 5:4
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
