Ministry & Mission - Rest Eternal

Garden of Rest

A portion of the church grounds, along the north side facing Collingwood Road, has been set aside for the burial of cremated remains in order that families may have the ashes of their loved ones laid to rest within the parish in consecrated ground. If you would like to know more about this please contact our parish office.

The Garden of Rest is necessarily an unmarked area, mainly of lawn, without headstones or tablets to mark individual graves. Instead, a Book of Remembrance is kept on display in church within a cabinet containing the names of those whose ashes have been interred within the Garden against the date of their death. The pages are turned throughout the year. We hope this tangible record of each individual's name, for public viewing and posterity, will provide some consolation to loved ones' families and friends.

Calvary Cross

Situated in the grounds of St Matthew's Church on the north east side of the apse, this fine Calvary cross, of English oak, was acquired by the parish following the closure of the retreat house at Hemmingford Grey, Cambridgeshire. It was restored and the oak canopy renewed.

As retreatants had for many years spent time in prayer and contemplation before it, so now, in its new location, it provides a spiritual focus for the otherwise unmarked area set aside for the burial of cremated remains. The Calvary has fulfilled this function admirably, and relatives and friends have spoken of the comfort they have drawn from its presence. Likewise, pedestrians have been observed pausing their journey at the garden perimeter for a moment of reflection.

In an affecting sign, people have trampled a path through the flower bed in order to touch the figure, and have left votive offerings. The Calvary is a silent witness to the community which speaks not only of suffering and death, which God knows and understands, but of the most profound hope that the best is yet to come.

Churchyard Regulations

There are some Church of England regulations about the upkeep of churchyards which we ask everyone to respect to help us to maintain the church grounds in keeping with the heritage of this place of Christian worship.

We welcome the placing of fresh cut flowers on your loved one's grave. However, vases may not be stood on the ground, as they kill the grass and make mowing difficult, so please, just lay your flowers down on the ground. Wreaths made with fresh flowers are also welcome, laid on the burial site.

Artificial flowers of any kind are not permitted, with two exceptions: Remembrance Day poppies, and traditional Christmas wreathes. If you lay either of these two, they are to be removed after a maximum of one month.

Please note that memorial tablets, or other memorials are not permitted. Instead, the name of your departed loved one is inscribed in a Book of Remembrance which is kept on display in church.

The nature of the area, which is consecrated ground around a listed building, means that it is not possible to plant anything in the ground, or to use a plant of any kind to mark the place of interment.

Once cut flowers or fresh flower wreathes wilt, please remove them - it helps to keep your loved one's place of rest looking good, as well as generally helping us to keep the churchyard looking tidy.

Other kinds of ornaments, toys, cards, signs, pinwheels or other objects are not permitted. Please be aware that any items of this kind, in addition to artificial flowers and wilted fresh flowers or wreaths that have not been collected, will be removed.

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