Beareavment continues…

Author: The Revd David Hagan-Palmer

Published on: 18 June 2020

Losing a loved one in ‘normal’ times is upsetting enough, but the church is currently having to support and guide people through a different landscape of care for the deceased due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Processes for the registration of death have changed and even the very look of a funeral is different. Our churches currently closed mean that burials are graveside only, but even when open again it is likely restrictions on mourner numbers will remain for a while. In this new landscape, the care and support that the church offers is
as important as ever, and remember it is not just about COVID-19 deaths as the natural cycle of life and death continues.

The role of bereavement support is a specialist one and care should be taken with what is said to those who are grieving. Although a listening ear can still be offered it must be done without comment or trying to ‘fix’ the grief. But there are things that the PCC can do to help those who are bereaved and those who support them. It is important that the PCC is aware of the additional challenges that ministers are currently facing and support them through understanding what they are dealing with.

Death registration is currently via telephone, and funeral services held as soon as possible. This means that ministers have less time to prepare for a funeral and of course are unable to visit to support the family. To keep funerals simple both at the crematorium and graveside, and because mourner numbers are reduced, it is being recommended that families consider a basic service and then have a fuller memorial when lockdown is over. This will have a later impact on our churches as they meet the needs for an increased number of memorials. There is also the financial aspects of funerals as the Diocese have confirmed that any minister’s and church fees for a reduced funeral and a subsequent memorial service, should be no more than the fee which would have been charged for a single service under more normal circumstances (excluding additional costs such as musicians and church bells). In that way families should not suffer financially by needing to have two separate services.

Once COVID-19 is over the church will be needed to continue to support the bereaved and enable them to grieve properly for their loved ones. This will take time and resources which, as usual, the PCC need to be aware of and be helped with by their church community.


The author...

The Revd David Hagan-Palmer

Norfolk Mortality Pathway Coordination Group

This article is from...

Articles in this issue...

Age has been no barrier

St Luke’s Church, on Aylsham Road, Norwich has been running both a Sunday morning service and a virtual coffee morning every week since the middle of April, using Zoom.

More

And relax…the voice

When the lockdown began, I knew it was vital to find ways to try and keep our community together.

More

Supporting those who are housebound

I am Laura and founded YouBelong, an organisation aiming to connect and support people with chronic illness and/or disability through the online community.

More

Dig down into the scriptures

We have always produced a podcast at STN, predominantly featuring our Sunday talks, as a way for those who wish to engage from a distance or catch up on Sunday.

More

Receiving donations online has never been more crucial

In the step-by-step article, we look practically at different payment platforms/companies, creating an online giving page on your website, and adding a giving button to A Church Near You.

More

Light a candle

Lighting a candle can be a helpful way to pray for someone. An online candle will help you think about someone who has died and pray for all those who miss them.

More

Maintaining youth and children’s work online

In these unprecedented times it is maybe the young who are most able to adapt to the forced use of technology to stay connected.

More

Anyone for coffee?

One of the many new experiences, in these COVID-19 times, are the proliferation of socially-distant coffee mornings online.

More

Rich tapestry of church

After a few weeks of COVID-19 lockdown, we realised how much church family members missed seeing each other, so we set up a ‘Church, Coffee and Chat’ for those on our church email list and invited everyone by email.

More

Supporting our life together despite the financial impact of COVID-19

I want to begin by thanking so many of you – parishioners, PCC members, churchwardens, lay ministers, clergy and others – for the incredible way in which you are continuing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect it is having on our local communities.

More

Keep up to date

Subscribe to our eNews for a snapshot of news, events and resources, usually emailed once a fortnight

Signup to newsletter