St Michael's Church

Funerals and Memorial Services

 When the time comes, we at St.Michael's Church will be honoured to provide a Funeral or Memorial Service for you or your Loved One. Our Parish Church of Lyme Regis is beautiful, historic, open and spacious. It can seat up to 300 people comfortably - more if standing! We will plan the Order of Service with you, and wherever possible respect your wishes.

There is a basic Christian Service, according to the Church of England, but within this overall structure it is possible to include a good variety of options:

• Hymns of your choice (if you want them)
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  Special music played by our organist, other instrumentalists, or on CD
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• A Bible reading of your choice, and perhaps other special readings or poems Tributes or Eulogies written or delivered by friends of family.

Frequently the Order of Service is specially printed - and this is often (but not necessarily) provided through the Funeral Directors that you hire to provide the arrangements for the occasion. The clergy of our Parishes will however be ready and willing to discuss the outline details of the Service in at any earlier point of your choosing.

 The Funeral Directors will provide you with plenty of information to help plan the kind of Service that you require.

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  You can hold the full Funeral Service in St.Michael's, and then have the final Committal Prayers at a Cemetery (in Lyme Regis or elsewhere), or at a Crematorium.
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  You can hold a simple Service (perhaps for close family & friends only) at a Cemetery or Crematorium, and then have a special Memorial Service at St.Michael's.

There are nowadays a range of possible forms of Service which can be adapted to your specific needs. This can be discussed with one of the clergy - in the first instance please contact the Team Rector: Revd Stephen Skinner (details below).

The charges for Funeral Services are set in part by the Church of England nationally: currently a basic £99 in 2010. There are additional charges for the use of the Church, Organist, Verger and Clergy travel expenses. Certain additional services incur further fees. These are normally added to the final invoice payable to the relevant Funeral Directors.

 The Churchyard around St,Michael's is closed for all burials, as space around the church is extremely limited. Burials in Lyme are at the town Cemetery, and are the Council's responsibility. The Funeral Directors have further information.

There is a special 'Garden of Remembrance' at St Michael's where burial of Ashes is permissible, but no memorial plaques or burial in individual urns can be allowed, as space is so limited.

This Service of subsequent interment will be conducted by a clergyman, and will incur an additional fee. Ashes cannot be scattered in the churchyard.

 We will also provide bereavement aftercare, if you so wish, with pastoral visits by our clergy team, and others in our parish who are pastorally trained and authorised to do so.

If you wish to discuss any of these matters further with the clergy, then please contact in the first instance the Revd Stephen Skinner on 01297 560409, or e mail on sjmskinners@btinternet.com He or another member of our ministerial team will be glad to arrange a visit, if you request.