How do I arrange a Funeral at St. Elphin’s Church?
Funerals
A funeral is used to mark the end of a person's life here on earth. Family and friends come together to express grief, give thanks for the life lived and commend the person into God's keeping. These can be a quiet ceremony with a few people or may be a large occasion in a full church.
Anyone is entitled to a funeral service in St. Elphin’s Church, regardless of whether they attended church or not.
Please speak to your chosen Funeral Director or to the Rector Canon June Steventon on 01925 632050.
At St. Elphin’s, it is no longer possible to hold burials or inter ashes, as the churchyard has been closed since 1960. However, the Local Authority provides alternative places of burial at Warrington Cemetery and Fox Covert Cemetery, and the minister can carry out the burial there instead of the church or crematorium.
The funeral service can take place either in Church or at the Crematorium. Please discuss these details with your Funeral Director, who will make contact with the Rector to make the necessary arrangements, and then either the Crematorium or Cemetery on your behalf.
Sometimes it can help to talk to a person who is not a member of your own family or a close friend. If you would like to have someone from St. Elphin’s Pastoral Team come to visit you in the coming weeks we would like to support you and encourage you in this. Please contact the Rector if you would like this to be arranged.
Every year around the first weekend in November we hold a special evening Memorial Service for those who have lost loved ones in that year. Candles are lit for each of the people we are mourning, and their names are read out. We will send you an invitation to this service nearer the time. We do hope you will be able to attend.
You are also welcome to join us for our regular church services. You will find details about these on the first page of our web site.
The usual pattern of services at St. Elphin’s is:
Sundays
8:30 am Holy Communion (said)
10:30 am Holy Communion (with hymns)
Wednesdays
10:00 am Holy Communion (said)
(Occasionally, when there are major Civic services at St. Elphin’s, these times may change)
Planning a Funeral
Some people find planning the funeral with family and friends helps in their grieving. Perhaps you already know something of what your loved one wanted. You may even have planned the service together some time ago.
If you are uncertain, the minister who will lead the service can help you choose suitable readings, hymns and prayers. If they did not know your loved one well, they will want to talk with you to build up a picture of the person's life, this may take only one meeting but sometimes it can be more.
Some deaths will be especially traumatic, distressing or unexpected. The Church has special funerals for children, or after sudden or violent deaths, including suicide. Talk with your minister about what is possible.
Choosing a Funeral Director
You may already have a particular Funeral Director in mind, or you may be dealing with arranging a funeral service for the first time, if so, here are some local Funeral Directors, with whom St. Elphin’s Church deal with fairly regularly as a helpful guide, without wishing to promote or endorse any particular business.
Knox & Son Funeral Directors
43-45 Orford Rd
Warrington
Cheshire
WA1 3TD
01925 633388
Maddock’s Funeral Directors
73 London Road
Stockton Heath
Warrington
WA4 6SG
01925 261803
Co-op Funeralcare
Bewsey Road
Warrington
Cheshire
WA2 7LW
01925 445555
Cheshire Funeral Services
Gorsey Lane
Warrington
Cheshire
WA2 7SQ
01925 697 256
Houghton’s Funeral Directors
53 London Road
Stockton Heath
Warrington
WA4 6SG
01925 264444
Houghton’s Funeral Directors
216 Lovely Lane
Warrington
Cheshire
WA5 1QF
0871 559 7798