Funeral Arrangements within the Parish of Aghagallon & Ballinderry.
Parishioners already understand and accommodate the schedules and availability of hospital staff and GP surgeries when issuing death certificates, undertakers, the Crematorium and council staff if burial is in a council graveyard. With demands for pastoral care growing in our parish, and the limited availability of staff and volunteers to assist, the parish now requires similar understanding as we manage increasing workloads.
Available Times for Requiem Masses in St Patrick’s Church. Weekday Funerals will only be celebrated at 10am, unless parish staff have another commitment at that time. As the 11 am Sunday Mass includes a Children’s Liturgy, Sunday funerals during term-time will only be celebrated during the 9am Mass, or 1pm if there are no Baptisms scheduled that day. We can no longer facilitate funerals in the afternoons. Families continue to have the option to have a Vigil Reception to the Church the day before the funeral if they do not wish to extend the wake by another day.
Music, Readings, Reflections, Eulogies and Funeral Services. Some families may be uncomfortable coming to Church or feel restricted by the liturgical music, readings, reflections and homilies available to them within a Church setting. We can usually accommodate requests for alternative readings, eulogies or music outside of Church Liturgies, such as during the wake or at the graveside. Including inappropriate content during Requiem Masses without the priest’s knowledge or consent is disrespectful to the Church and to other parishioners who abide by Church teaching. Priests have a duty to ensure liturgies are celebrated in a dignified manner and are obliged to intervene if needs be. Parish staff will continue to celebrate funeral services in family homes, undertakers’ Chapels of Rest, or Crematorium for families who do not want to come to the Church or feel restricted by Church guidelines.
Visiting Priests or Deacons. Our parish belongs to a group of parishes that provides full cover for funerals when individual parish priests are not available. However, families can ask permission for a priest or deacon who is related to them to preside at funerals. The Diocese of Down & Connor has various policies and procedures, such as safeguarding and visiting priest policies, and guidance relating to the appropriate celebration of Church Liturgies in the Diocese. Priests and deacons must comply with these guidelines, even if they belong to a different Diocese. Under no circumstances can anyone arrange and publish details of funerals or organise visiting priests to publicly minister in St Patick’s Church without the knowledge or permission of parish staff.
LEASING ARRANGMENTS FOR GRAVES IN THE NEW EXTENSION OF ST PATRICK’S CEMETERY, AGHAGALLON
The graveyard committee has agreed the following arrangements within the parish of Aghagallon and Ballinderry.
Lease fees have increased considerably. However, overall costs relating to the installation of headstones and the longer-term maintenance of graves will decrease due to the parish pre-installing headstone bases and maintaining turfed areas.
Parishioners resident in the parish at the time of death who are actively involved in parish life and non-parishioners actively involved in parish life and contributing financially to the parish.
Parishioners resident within the parish and actively contributing to parish life through regular attendance at Mass, volunteering in the Church or contributing financially to the parish via a box of envelopes and non-parishioners actively involved in parish life and contributing financially to the parish via a box of envelopes at the time of death may be buried in a standard grave, leased for £1800. At the discretion of the parish priest, resident parishioners with larger families who are contributing to the parish may also lease a double grave, at a cost of £3200.
Parishioners resident in the parish, but not actively involved in parish life and ex-parishioners.
Parishioners who were not actively involved or financially contributing to parish life via a registered box of envelopes at the time of death and ex-parishioners living outside the parish at the time of death may be buried in a standard grave only, leased for £2200.
Please note
A standard grave can accommodate up to three interments.
A double grave can accommodate up to six interments.
No graves may be purchased in advance.
All arrangements/costs will be reviewed regularly and are subject to change.
Please be aware that headstones only will be allowed to be erected as Memorials and no other commemorative items shall be permitted. Headstones must be erected on the solid foundation only and be in keeping with the historical style/practice within parish graveyards. Moveable memorials, grave decorations and floral arrangements cannot be placed on turfed areas. Please incorporate space for these on the headstone base. Monumental sculptors must furnish the parish with scaled drawings prior to installation. If you have any questions/queries re the suitability of headstones, please discuss your wishes with the parish priest prior to installation, as the parish cannot bear the costs of removal/redesign.