The death of a loved one is one of the most difficult experiences we can have. The pain of saying goodbye, regardless of the deceased’s age, is a heavy load to carry. As a people, we ‘do death’ well in Ireland. The support of extended family and wider community carries us through the initial pain of our loss.

While the recent Covid pandemic curtailed the celebration of funerals as we would previously have marked them, we can once again come together at this difficult time.

Our presence at a wake, funeral, month’s memory or anniversary is a source of comfort to many who are bereaved.

While Covid-19 greatly impacted every aspect of life, perhaps it has also given us the chance to tailor the death of a loved one to our own circumstances. In other words, families are under less pressure today to mark death in the customary manner. It is easier today to keep the wake private or to hold it in the funeral home, people can now attend a funeral by standing on the road as the cortege passes and so on.                                                                             

Funerals are normally held at 11.00am in the parish of Botha. There will be occasions when the time may be adjusted, depending on the availability of a priest or due to the church being unavailable at the usual time.

From the 1^st of June funerals in the parish will not take place on Sundays.

• Sunday funerals at the 10.00am Mass in Boho and Monea leave little time for the priest to be ready for the 11.30am Mass, especially if there is any delay to the start of the 10.00am funeral.
• As Sunday masses are also attended by people not there for the funeral, any delay to the Mass is problematic.
• On occasion there are guest speakers at our Sunday masses, and possibly children taking part in their sacramental preparation – having a funeral on Sunday involves having to change these arrangements.

To arrange a funeral, please contact Fr. Cathal and your funeral undertaker immediately.

Finally, in a time when priests are becoming ever scarce, it should never be assumed that a funeral will take place when you want it, it is dependent on the priest’s availability.