A Church of England funeral marks the close of a human life on earth. It is the opportunity for friends and family to express their grief, to give thanks for the life which has now completed its journey in this world and to commend the person into God's keeping.

A funeral service in the Church of England - whether in a parish church or a cemetery or crematorium chapel - may be very short and quiet with only a few members of the family present, or an occasion of great solemnity with music, hymns and a packed church. A funeral may also be set within a celebration of Holy Communion.

The funeral service will reflect the personality of the one who has died and the circumstances of their death. Feelings of grief, gratitude, joy and sadness often intermingle. Sometimes, a sense of tragedy is uppermost, especially when it is a young person who has died. When it is the end of a long and fruitful life, the feelings of thanksgiving can be strongest.

'I am the resurrection and the life,' saith the Lord; 'he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die,' John 1.25-26

Church of England funerals usually follow a general order of service including the gathering, readings and sermon, prayers, commendation and farewell, committal and dismissal. A funeral service may also take place within a celebration of Holy Communion, and when this is the case the Liturgy of the Sacrament will usually occur after prayers but before the commendation and farewell.

The Gathering : During the gathering the minister may meet the coffin at the door of the church. The minister will welcome everyone and introduce the service. Prayers of Penitence and The Collect may be said. Tributes may also be made at this point.

The Readings & Sermons : One or more readings from the Bible will be said and may be followed by psalms or hymns. Following either the reading, prayers or hymns a sermon will be given.

The Prayers : The sequence of prayers at a Church of England funeral usually begins with thanksgiving for the life of the deceased, prayers for those who mourn, Prayers of Penitence (if they were not said at the gathering) and finally prayers for readiness to live in the light of eternity.

The Commendation & Farewell : During the commendation and farewell the deceased is commended to God in an authorised manner. The minister stands by the coffin and, if appropriate, the mourners may gather round too. A period of silence leads into the prayer of commendation, in which the person who has died is entrusted to the love and mercy of God.

The Committal : The committal is perhaps the most solemn moment of a Church of England funeral service, and it may take place at the graveside, in a crematorium chapel or in the church before the body of the deceased is transported to the crematorium. During the committal either the coffin is lowered in to the grave or the coffin is moved out of site at the crematorium. If the committal takes place at the grave, then handfuls of earth will be scattered over the top of the coffin once it has been fully lowered. This can be a tremendously emotional time for the bereaved, and all care should be taken to ensure the solemnity of this time.

The Dismissal : Generally a Church of England funeral ends with a blessing before the mourners leave.

What occurs following a funeral service is largely up to the family and friends of the deceased to decide. Many families choose to hold a type of reception in which all of the deceased’s loved ones can come together to support each other. Several weeks or months after the funeral the bereaved may find that they are still having trouble accepting their loved one’s death. These individuals may find great comfort in discussing their thoughts and feelings with a member of the clergy. On the anniversary of the deceased’s death many families choose to hold memorial services or another event to mark the anniversary. If a religious component is desired for such a gathering the family should speak to a member of the clergy about their wishes.

ALL SAINTS, STAND
Church Lane
Whitefield
Manchester
M45 7NF
Telephone: 0161 766 2619

PARISH CHURCH OF ST. MARGARET (Holyrood), PRESTWICH & ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH, SIMISTER
St. Margaret's Vicarage
St. Margaret's Road
Prestwich
Manchester
M25 2QB
Telephone: 0161 773 2698

PARISH CHURCH OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN, PRESTWICH
Church Lane
Prestwich
Manchester
Telephone: 0161 773 2912

ST. GABRIEL'S CHURCH, PRESTWICH
8 Bishops Road
Sedgley Park
Prestwich
Manchester
M25 0HT
Telephone: 0161 773 8839

ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH, UNSWORTH & ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH, HILLOCK
St George's Vicarage
Hollins Lane
Bury
BL9 8JJ
Telephone: 0161 796 8007

ST. HILDA'S CHURCH, PRESTWICH
St. Hilda’s Vicarage
55 Whittaker Lane
Prestwich
Manchester
M25 1ET
Telephone: 0161 773 1642

MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL
Victoria Street
Manchester
M3 1SX
Tel: 0161 833 2220

CHRIST CHURCH, HARPURHEY
The Rectory
95 Church Lane
Harpurhey
Manchester
M9 5BG
Telephone: 0161 205 4020

THE CHURCH OF THE SAVIOUR, COLLYHURST
Eggington Street
Collyhurst
Manchester
M40 7RN
Telephone: 0161 205 2808

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, BLACKLEY
Holy Trinity Rectory
Goodman Street
Blackley
Manchester
M9 4BW
Telephone: 0161 205 2879

ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH, HIGHER BLACKLEY
Churchdale Road
Higher Blackley
Manchester
M9 8NE
Telephone: 0161 740 2961

ST. ANN'S CHURCH, MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE
St Ann Street
Manchester
M2 7LF
Telephone: 0161 834 1161

ST. CHAD'S CHURCH, NEW MOSTON
St Chad's Rectory
30 Hawthorne Road
New Moston
Manchester
M40 3RH
Telephone: 0161 681 3203

ST. MATTHEW WITH ST. MARY, CRUMPSALL
St Matthew's Rectory
30 Cleveland Road
Crumpsall
Manchester
M8 4QU
Telephone: 0161 740 0237

ST. PETER'S CHURCH, BLACKLEY
Blackley Village
Manchester
M9 8DY
Telephone: 0161 740 4801

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, MOSTON
St Chad's Rectory
30 Hawthorne Road
New Moston
Manchester
M40 3RH
Telephone: 0161 681 3203

ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST PARISH CHURCH, CHEETHAM
Bellott Street / Waterloo Road
Cheetham
Manchester
M8 0AZ

ST. LUKE'S CHURCH, LIGHTBOWNE
St Luke's Rectory
173 Kenyon Lane
Lightbowne
Manchester
M40 5HS
Telephone: 0161 681 1308

ST. MARY'S CHURCH, MOSTON
St Mary's Rectory
47 Nuthurst Road
Moston
Manchester
M40 0EW
Telephone: 0161 681 1201

CHURCH OF THE HOLY ANGELS, CLAREMONT
Moorfield Road
Irlams o'th' Height
Salford
M6 7EY
Telephone: 0161 745 7608

EMMANUEL CHURCH, SALFORD (St. Ambrose, Pendelton)
Pendleton Way
Salford
M6 5HX
Telephone: 0161 736 5819

SACRED TRINITY CHURCH, SALFORD
Chapel Street
Salford
M3 5DW
Telephone: 0161 834 2041

ST. AIDAN'S CHURCH, LOWER KERSAL
Littleton Road
Lower Kersal
Salford
M7 3SE
Telephone: 0161 745 7608

ST. CLEMENT'S, ORDSALL & SALFORD QUAYS
Hulton Street
Ordsall
Salford
M5 3WN
Telephone: 0161 872 0800

ST. JAMES', HIGHER BROUGHTON & ST. CLEMENT WITH ST. MATTHIAS, LOWER BROUGHTON
St James Vicarage
396 Great Cheetham Street East
Higher Broughton
Salford
M7 4UH
Tel: 0161 792 1208

ST. LUKE WITH ALL SAINTS CHURCH, WEASTE
Liverpool Street / Derby Road
Salford
M6 5YD
Telephone: 0161 745 7608

ST. PAUL'S CHURCH, KERSAL MOOR & ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH, CARR CLOUGH
The Rectory
1 Moorside Road
Kersal Moor
Salford
M7 3PJ
Telephone: 0161 792 5362

ST. PHILIP WITH ST. STEPHEN C of E CHURCH
St Philips Place
Salford
M3 6FJ
Telephone: 0161 834 2041

ST. THOMAS' CHURCH, PENDLETON
Ford Lane
Pendleton
Salford
M6 6PE
Telephone: 0161 745 7608

BURY PARISH CHURCH
Tithebarn St
Bury
BL9 0JR
Telephone: 0161 764 2452

PARISH CHURCH OF ST. PETER, BURY
St. Peter's Road
Bury
BL9 9QZ
Telephone: 0161 764 1187

ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH, RADCLIFFE
St Andrew's Vicarage
St Andrew's View
Radcliffe
Manchester
M26 4HE
Telephone: 0161 723 2427

ST. JOHN'S WITH ST. MARK'S CHURCH, BURY
Sunny Avenue
Bury
BL9 6PF
Telephone: 0161 764 3412

ST. MARY'S CHURCH, RADCLIFFE (Radcliffe Parish Church)
The Vicarage
Heber St
Radcliffe
Manchester
M26 2TG
Telephone: 0161 723 2123

ST. THOMAS' CHURCH, RADCLIFFE
Vicar: The Reverend Christopher Brown
St Thomas's Vicarage
Vicarage Street
Radcliffe
Manchester
M26 2TR.
Telephone: 0161 723 2123