Funerals

At St Matthew's Church, we are honoured to help and support families in times of bereavement. If a loved one has recently died and you would like support, please do not hesitate to contact Revd Liz via phone or email and she will get back to you as soon as possible. You can find the relevant details on the contact us page.

You may be wondering what you need to do, and where to find help. You can find help on the Government website, or from a hospice, hospital or your GP; but there are esentially three main things you need to do: get a medical certificate from your GP or hospital; register the death; and arrange the funeral.

When arranging a funeral you can either appoint a funeral director or arrange it yourself. Either way, as a church we can offer you help and advice, prayer, and support.

Our ministers would be happy to conduct a service for you either in our church, at a crematorium, at a cemetary, or at a Funeral Director's chapel.

If you are using a Funeral Director to arrange the funeral they will ask who you would like to conduct the service. You don't need to be a regular attender of church to have a Church of England minister; we are here to serve everyone, so please feel free to ask for us - we'd be happy to assist you.

St Matthew's Church has an extensive churchyard, and you may well be able to have a burial here. Anyone who lived in the parish, died in the parish, has a family grave, or is a member of the church has the right to be buried here. The regulations which govern the use of churchyards in the Diocese of Manchester can be found here.

All Souls Service

Every year in the autumn, we invite families to whom we have ministered to our All Souls service where we remember all those who have died during the past year. The date and time of our All Souls service is published in our calendar.

A prayer for the recently bereaved

O God, who has brought us to birth,

and in whose arms we die,

in our grief and shock

contain and comfort us;

embrace us with your love,

and guve us hope in our confusion

and grace to let go into new life;

through Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Funeral Costs

You can find our most up-to-date parochial fees here. If you have any further questions then please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.