Tag Archives: Funeral

Priest to Lonely Dead: ‘I Love You’

Posted on May 15, 2013 by

No one Mary Helen Wells knew was at her funeral. The physical sum of her 85 years filled a donated urn Monday afternoon, among 36 other donated urns full of unwanted remains. A kindly priest said prayers and stowed them … Continue reading →

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Bride and Gloom

Posted on November 27, 2012 by

An appalling clerical double booking. The Austrian Times reports: Serbian Orthodox priest Father Jefrem Ratkovic was forced to apologize, after he recently scheduled a wedding at the same time as a funeral in the central Serbian town of Ljig, the Austrian … Continue reading →

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When the Living Have to Bury their Own Dead

Posted on November 8, 2012 by

Church-planters probably never even consider factoring this in when they start. That was certainly the case for some friends of mine in Turkey. For who would have guessed that setting up a cemetery might have to become a key feature … Continue reading →

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Italian Bishops Forbid Scattering of Ashes after Cremation

Posted on March 31, 2012 by

Catholic Culture: In new guidelines for funerals and burials, the Italian bishops’ conference has said that the scattering of ashes of the deceased is not allowed. The revised funeral rites, released on March 31, said that although civil law allows … Continue reading →

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Letter of Apology to Lesbian Denied Communion at Mom’s Funeral

Posted on March 1, 2012 by

UPDATE:  Fr Marcel Guarnizo’s Response to the Eucharistic Incident here. MSNBC reports: Barbara Johnson knew last Saturday, the day of her mother’s funeral, would be difficult. But she and her lesbian partner of 20 years had no idea that the priest … Continue reading →

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Westboro Church Uses iPhone to Announce Steve Jobs Funeral Protest

Posted on October 6, 2011 by

The height of hypocrisy: The Westboro Baptist Church took to an iPhone when they heard about Steve Jobs’ death Wednesday night, sending out a message saying the Apple founder would be going to hell and calling for a protest of … Continue reading →

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Rest in Peace? Mumbai Runs Out of Space for Dead

Posted on August 14, 2011 by

Mumbai — Simple marble gravestones lie flat in the grounds of St Andrew’s Church in Bandra, one of the oldest Roman Catholic places of worship in the Indian city of Mumbai. The names on the tombs bear witness to the … Continue reading →

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Seve Ballesteros’s Funeral

Posted on May 13, 2011 by

The Catholic Herald reports: Unlike a lot of clergy, I do not have any particular interest in golf, but I do take an interest in funerals, and was intrigued by certain aspects of the funeral of the late Seve Ballesteros, … Continue reading →

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Delayed Funerals?

Posted on March 9, 2011 by

How ridiculous! When Sue Walker’s dad died in January, she immediately began planning his services — for July. To honor her father… Walker and far-flung family members will play some golf and cards, drink some scotch and “call it a day,” … Continue reading →

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Christina-Taylor Green's Funeral in Arizona

Posted on January 14, 2011 by

New York Times: Christina-Taylor Green, age 9, was wheeled from church in a child-size coffin to the mournful strain of bagpipes on Thursday, having become the focus for much of the grief that has enveloped this community — and the … Continue reading →

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