Cemetery Sunday

Prayers for the beloved dead of both our cemeteries will take place ON-LINE from St Nicholas Church Ardglass at 1.00pm on Sunday 6th June.

The blessing of the graves in both cemeteries will be a simple one afterwards with only the priest in attendance.

At present we are sorry to state that we cannot have family members present at these blessings. Even though the indicative date of 24 May 2021 has been set by the N. I. Assembly, for outdoor gatherings of no more than 500 people, to take place, such a number, by law, requires a risk-assessment which would have to be presented to the health authority; such a risk assessment requires assurances that social distancing of 2 metres be maintained…. we cannot meet that…by virtue that graves are alongside each other. While it is relatively easy to have 500 people, 2 metres apart, in a football stadium…we are not able to do that in a cemetery. Even families from different households at the one grave have to stay socially distanced. It is just impossible to achieve this…If guidelines were to be relaxed in these respects, before the 6th June, we will look at this again.

So, sadly Cemetery Sunday is on line only again this year. A combined Service at 1.00pm on Sunday 6th June with the Priest doing a simple blessing of graves in each cemetery thereafter without loved ones in attendance.