Funerals Resources

 One of the hardest ceremonies a Celebrant has to take is one for the life of a baby or child who has died, even harder is that on behalf of the parents who have gone through the devestating experience of a still-born baby.

Words seem so inadequate and everyone involved feels so overwhelmed with grief, so powerless and this is why the Celebrant is so important at such a time they need to gently guide, encourage and empower the family through this tragic time.

When I took my first still-born funeral many years ago I found poems, readings and resources pretty scarce on the ground so I wrote my own and I'd like to share some with you as they might prove useful to new Celebrants as well as more experienced ones.

A Blessing for the Parents & Family at a Childs Funeral
As you enfold yourselves in grief
In the depths of deepest and darkest despair
As you ache with an overwhelming sense of loss
As the questions come again, again and again -
Be still - listen to the beating of your hearts and
Feel Love pour it’s soothing balm into
Every part of your wounded souls—
Pour out your grief –shed your tears
Feel the pain - for life will never be the same again
But Love and Hope will never die
And in time, in time, you can begin anew
For as Winter turns to Spring once more -
so can you when the time is right.
Wanda  Brittain

May you be upheld by the loving comfort of friends
By the healing love in your aching hearts
By the warmth of the sunlight on tear-stained faces
By the grace of spirit that lies deep in your souls
By the eternal souls of ancestors who journeyed before
By the peace of the earth as it grieves for your loss
And by the timeless renewal that comes every spring
As flowers push their way through the snow-tipped moss.
Wanda Brittain