Penny McCarthy
Independent Civil Funeral Celebrant
Serving bereaved families in Shropshire, Worcestershire and beyond
mccarthypenny@outlook.com 07849 208924
As we navigate the difficult, but precious, task of preparing to say
farewell to someone we love, we all need someone alongside us who
we trust and feel at ease with. So if you like what you read on this
site and would to talk things through, please feel free to send me an
email or give me ring for a chat with no obligation.
The image of the Tree of Life perfectly symbolises my approach to Funeral
Celebrancy, representing both a memorial to those who have gone before, and the
knowledge that they live on through their influence in the lives of those who knew them.
The death of each of us is in the order of things: it follows life as surely as night follows day. We can
take the Tree of Life as a symbol. The human race is the trunk and branches of this tree, and individual
men and women are the leaves, which appear one season, flourish for a summer and then die. I too am
like a leaf of this tree, and one day I shall be torn off by a storm, or simply decay and fall and mingle
with the earth at its roots. But, while I live I am conscious of the tree’s flowing sap and steadfast
strength. When I die and fall the Tree of Life remains, nourished to some small degreee by my life.
Millions of leaves have preceded me and millions will follow me; the tree itself grows and endures.’
The Tree of Life
About me
I
bring
a
broad
range
of
experience
to
the
role
of
Civil
Funeral
Celebrant.
I’ve
always
worked
with
people,
initially
in
education
and
community
music.
The
wish
to
be
alongside
people
as
they
go
through
some
of
the
most
difficult
times
in
their
lives
led
me
to
volunteering,
first
with
Samaritans,
supporting
the
distressed
and
suicidal,
and
then
with
Cruse
Bereavement
Care,
supporting
those
who
struggle
to
cope
with
their
loss.
In
my
professional
life
I
retrained
as
a
Mindfulness
teacher, working with people suffering from anxiety and depression.
‘Many thanks for your care and consideration. it will not be forgotten.’
The
experience
of
being
closely
involved
in
creating
and
leading
funeral
ceremonies
for
two
family
members
encouraged
me
to
look
into
training
as
a
Professional
Civil
Funeral
Celebrant.
The
more
I
found
out
about
the
role,
the
more
it
seemed
like
a
perfect
fit;
I
love
the
people
I
meet
–
both
my
clients
and
the
other
funeral
professionals
I
work
with.
I
love
hearing
people’s
stories
and
helping
them
to
tell
them
in
a
way
that
brings
out
the
significance
of
an
individual
life.
It’s
a
privilege
to
work
closely
with
families
at
a
such
a
difficult
time,
collaborating
with
them
to
put
together
a
ceremony
that
will
fulfil
the
need
to
adequately
honour
and
acknowledge
the
importance
of
their
loved
one’s
life,
and
allowing
them
to
say
their
farewells
in
the
way
that
feels
right
to
them.
And
I
have
to
confess
that
I
also
enjoy
the
experience
of
leading
the
ceremony
on
the
day,
ensuring
that
each
part
of the ceremony goes according to plan.
I
completed
my
training
in
2016
and
have
been
working
as
a
Celebrant
ever
since.
I’m
often
asked
how
I
can
do
this
work
that
inevitably
involves
a
great
deal
of
sadness,
but
I
can’t
imagine
a
more
rewarding
job
than
helping
people
to
put
together
a
ceremony
that
helps
them
get
through
such
a
difficult
time.
I
love
to
work
with
people
from
all
walks
of
life,
old
or
young,
of
all
faiths
or
none,
and
to
celebrate
all
that
makes
us
the
wonderful
human beings we are.
‘From the time you spent with us at the
house getting to know the sort of person
G was, to the day of her funeral and after,
my father has complimented your superb
professional and personal approach to
what you do. The fact you listened and
were tactful and sensitive to family issues.
You didn’t rush us, and the exercise of
telling you all the fabulous things about
our amazing Mum helped us all. The fact
that you were able to paint a picture of G
in your service that was so very true of her
character and personality,and with the
greatest of respect to her.
We would like you to know how grateful
we are to you.
Copyright Penny McCarthy 2022
Whether we see ourselves as religious or not, I believe that human beings have an innately spiritual
nature, in that we all have a sense of connection with something greater – whether that’s something we
call God, or something else like the earth and nature, or simply the rest of the human race. At times of
great stress, such as bereavement, this sense of connection can be of enormous comfort and support
When I meet with bereaved families I work with them to ensure that the final funeral ceremony
embodies whatever brings them that sense of connection. In my own spiritual life I’m a member of the
Society of Friends (Quakers). Quakers don’t have priests because we believe we’re all equally
responsible for our own and our community’s spiritual wellbeing. For me, the work of a civil funeral
celebrant is not so much a job, but one way of contributing to the wellbeing of the community in which I live.
I’m based in rural Shropshire, between Bridgnorth and Ludlow and
mostly work within a 30 mile radius of Bridgnorth, but if you’re
further away and you like my approach, get in touch and we can talk
things through.
The philosopher Herbert Read wrote these words about the Tree of Life:
‘Just a line to say thank you so much for the support you gave us before and
at the crematorium for J’s service. Our phone calls and emails to me helped
enormously as I had never had to do anything like this before.
Your support and compassion were second to none.’
‘Thankyou again for
all your support and
for helping to make
a very difficult
occasion so much
easier’