Opening up to idea of civil funerals

In our increasingly secular society, there has been a significant rise in non-religious and humanist funerals. And non-church services mean people can choose a bespoke ceremony that truly reflects their loved one’s life, funeral celebrant Padraic Cawley tells Olivia Kelleher.

It is not uncommon to attend a funeral where you leave the Mass with the distinct feeling of the essence of the deceased not having been portrayed during the homily.