I have never before been to a Roman Catholic Requiem Mass before. Much of it is, of course, very similar to the modern Anglican communion service, but it tripped me up every now and again when I joined in confidently with the responses only to find the wording marginally different from what I expected, although most of what was unfamiliar can also be found among the alternatives in the anglican Common Worship service book. (I wonder why were there no service booklets?)

There were a very few family members and a few more from the church congregation (easily identified as they alone received commnion - an exclusivity I find very strange as our custom is to offer a direct invitation to all confirmed christians of whatever denomination to receive and to everyone to go up to the altar for a blessing) but most of the people there were Swallovians. On the pews around me were two lapsed catholics now anglican, one anglican (with RC father), one methodist (with RC mother), one lutheran, one quaker, two RC and an assortment of more-or-less practising anglicans - most of whom I think would have been happy to receive if invited.

I have to say that the hymns seemed to have been chosen to be 'safe' for a congregation of mixed denominations and non-church-goers - How Great Thou Art, Make Me a Channel of Your Peace and Crimmond - none of them favourites of mine. On the other hand Nev's eulogy (composed from contributions from much of the village) was everything it should be, and just long enough as his voice cracked on the edge of tears in the last couple of sentences. Father Bailey, a traditionalist who likes to preach a sermon rather than give a eulogy, was also moved to add a few personal words of his own about Dot.

Helen and Glen were both working today and Jess was spending the day with us, so I came back to be with her as the service had lasted more than an hour and she had thus been on her own for nearly two hours - not a problem with a 14 year old, but not something she is used to - but Pa went on to the wake at the Swallow Inn. (I was also longing to get out of my black dress and jacket which are synthetic and out of my good shoes with heels, all of which were rather hot, sticky and uncomfortable on this warm day.)

Anyway, all in all Dot got a good send off, with plenty of people there who will really miss her. There would have been more if it hadn't been August with a number of people away on holiday - they weren't taking names, but I was representing five other villagers who were away, so goodness knows how many more people were silently being represented in all.