Funerals & Memorials at Christ Church

In response to the mystery of living and dying, human beings in every culture have developed and observed rites of passage to mark life's journey since time immemorial. This is especially important for someone we love, both to honour and commemorate the dead, and to give collective expression to grief and loss.

In the Church catholic, or universal – including the Anglican Church – the funeral
service, in which we lay a person’s body to rest, is our rite of passage from life to
death. The wounds of grief need time and care to heal. The funeral may help this
process, by enabling us to acknowledge our loss, give thanks for the life of the person
who has died, make our last farewell, and begin to take up life once more.

Christians believe in God, the source and giver of life. God’s good news proclaims
Jesus Christ to be our living Lord, who knew death, yet triumphed over it, drawing its
sting, and being raised by the One he called ‘Father’ to new life. Christians affirm the
presence of the Holy Spirit, the divine Comforter, who does not remove suffering or
sorrow, but helps us to bear it with grace and integrity, as we confront the reality of
our mortality.

Christian funeral and memorial rites therefore proclaim the Church’s hope in the face of death.

Preparing for a funeral at Christ Church  (will open a PDF in a new window)

Memorial Services at Christ Church (PDF)

The Garden of Remembrance at Christ Church (opens new page)