Non-Religious Funerals and Memorials
The death of anyone we have known and loved, whether someone in our extended family, a friend or colleague, an elderly person, a parent, sibling, child or baby, is no less sad, shocking or painful for those of us who choose to live without religion.
A funeral director is the professional most likely to deal with all the practical arrangements of a funeral, but we are all entitled to specify the kind of funeral ceremony we want.
A funeral director is the professional most likely to deal with all the practical arrangements of a funeral, but we are all entitled to specify the kind of funeral ceremony we want.
Humanist Ceremony
- Focus sincerely and affectionately on the person who has died.
- Allow friends, relatives and acquaintances to express their feelings and to share their memories.
- Have warmth and sincerity: many bereaved people find them helpful and are pleased to have provided a ceremony their loved ones would have wanted.
- Celebrate the life of the person who has died by paying tribute to them, to the life they lived, the connections they made and left behind.
- Be simply more appropriate for those who have not lived according to religious principles, or accepted religious views of life or death.
Funeral celebrants in the Humanist Association are friendly, trained and experienced. They will usually meet with the family or friends who are most closely connected with the person who has died. They will want to learn as much about the person as possible, so that the funeral or memorial tribute justly captures the life and personality of that person.
They will welcome your ideas for readings and music and, if required, will be ready with suggestions suitable for the kind of ceremony you want. Preparing your own Humanist Funeral. Like many non-religious people you may want to make advance plans for your own funeral or memorial ceremony. Why not?
It takes a great deal of pressure off friends and family at a stressful time if you leave clear instructions regarding your wishes in this area. There’s no set way of doing this, but it is important that you write down what you would like to happen and very important that you give a copy of your plans to a close family member or friend who is likely to take charge of the event.
You might like to think about the music you would like played and the poems or texts you would like to be read. You might consider writing a short personal history, mentioning the people and events that have been important to you.
Civil Ceremony
A Civil Funeral Ceremony is for any person regardless of what beliefs, if any, he or she held. There is no set format for a civil funeral. Each ceremony is unique - as unique as the person who has died, as the life they lived. It is a ceremony created especially for them.
The Civil Funeral Ceremony;
* Reflects the beliefs, wishes, values and cultural traditions of the person who has died.
* Fulfills the needs of the people closest to that person.
* Meets the expectations of all who come to the funeral.
* Is a highly personal ceremony.
A Civil Funeral Ceremony is open to the inclusion of hymns or prayers should the family wish. Although It is possible, and not unusual to have a Civil Funeral where there is a complete absence of religious references
The Civil Funeral Ceremony;
* Reflects the beliefs, wishes, values and cultural traditions of the person who has died.
* Fulfills the needs of the people closest to that person.
* Meets the expectations of all who come to the funeral.
* Is a highly personal ceremony.
A Civil Funeral Ceremony is open to the inclusion of hymns or prayers should the family wish. Although It is possible, and not unusual to have a Civil Funeral where there is a complete absence of religious references
Shasby Funeral Directors Kilkenny offers a Professional and Personal Service with Dignity, Reverence & Understanding, managed totally on your behalf and according to your wishes and we are happy to accommodate special requests. Michael Shasby is a qualified embalmer and a member of The British Institute of Embalmers.
Shasby Funeral Home
29 Hebron Industrial Estate,
(opposite St. Kieran's Cemetery)
Hebron Road, Kilkenny City. R95 FH1F
Phone: Michael 083 3636969
Email: shasbyfuneraldirectors@gmail.com