Funerals in the churches of the Parish

A funeral service marks the passing of a life. Some deaths are especially traumatic, distressing or unexpected, others bring sought after release. Funerals generate many many emotions, rekindle memories, remind us of the fragility of life. A funeral helps us to make sense of life and death. Funerals in the Parish of Cowley may take place in St Francis Church, Hollow Way or in St James Church, Beauchamp Lane or in one of the Chapels at the Oxford Crematorium. 

Some people find planning a funeral difficult, so a member of our ministry team will be very glad to help you choose hymns or songs, prayers, suitable Bible Readings and poems. The funeral service follows a clear plan that celebrates life in the face of death. It moves from earth to heaven; from the greeting at the door, to remember the life of the person who had died. If can bring comfort and reassurance. Please call the Parish Office if you would like to speak with someone about a funeral and how we can help.

Some deaths will be especially traumatic, distressing or unexpected. The Church has special funerals for children, or after sudden or violent deaths, including suicide. Please come and talk to one of our ministry team about what is possible.

You can see the outline of a church funeral service here and the full text of a typical funeral service here.

Link to diocesan churchyard regulations here

St James Church Yard Cowley: Goodwin Memorial Garden: Application for addition of a name to  a memorial stone

At St James and St Francis we are thankful for our churchyard. It has served the community of Cowley for hundreds of years. It is only a small area, and is largely full, but we are able to offer space for the interment of cremated ashes. These are released directly into the soil in the Goodwin Memorial Garden, a circle of stones in the north side of the churchyard. The stones that form the circle each have space to engrave the name and key data for 6 people. Each inscription may up to  2 lines of 23 characters.  We work with Reeves Memorials (Reeves 147A Magdalen Rd, Oxford OX4 1RL)


How do you get a name added to one of the memorial stones? 
First contact the Rector. Also complete this electronic form. It will email you copy the details. You can use this when you communicate with Reeves.


What is the cost of adding a name to the memorial: This final cost is made up of several parts.
                            a) The stone masons charge. 
                                 This you will need to negotiate with them (in 2019 this was in the region of £200)
                            b) A standard Diocesan fee for adding an inscription to a memorial 9 in 2023 this will be £31)  
                            c) A contribution to fund that covers the cost of the stones used (£40)

Click here to access our application system


Click here to view a record of the burial records for the  churchyard