The Funeral Mass for Sir David Amess will take place in Westminster Cathedral at 10.30am on Tuesday, 23 November. The Mass will be streamed on YouTube: Funeral Mass of Sir David Amess RIP – Westminster Cathedral – YouTube
Cardinal Vincent Nichols will celebrate along with Bishop Alan Williams sm, Bishop of Brentwood, and other clergy from Sir David’s constituency.
On Monday 22 October an interfaith Memorial Service is to be held at St Mary’s, Prittlewell in Southend-on-Sea, led by Reverend Paul Mackay and Rev Monsignor Kevin Hale, parish priest at Leigh. Mark Francois, the MP for Rayleigh and Wickford and a great friend of Sir David, will speak. (Listen to his moving tribute in Parliament to Sir David (3) Watch | Facebook) The service, which will be at 1pm, has been requested by the family and is strictly by invitation only. However, it will be broadcast live by BBC Essex to allow the public to listen. (BBC Essex can be accessed via Essex – Listen Live – BBC Sounds or on FM radio frequency 103.5 FM or 95.3 FM.)
After the service, Sir David’s coffin will be carried in a horse-drawn hearse through the streets of Southend, pausing outside the Civic Centre in Victoria Avenue and Iveagh Hall, Sir David’s Southend West Conversative Constituency office, in Leigh Road, to allow people to pay their respects to their much-loved MP.
Approximate timings:
- 12.15pm church bells will toll
- 1pm memorial service begins
- 2.10pm memorial service ends
- 2.15pm procession will begin from East Street
- 2.20pm approximately the horse-drawn hearse will pause at the Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue and pause for a minute or so to allow people to pay their respects
- 2.35pm approximately the hearse will pause at Iveagh Hall, Leigh Road and will pause again for a minute or two before returning to the chapel of rest for the evening
The service will mark the final day the Book of Condolence will be open for people to leave a written tribute to Sir David. The book is in the Jubilee Room at the Civic Centre in Victoria Avenue and will be open until 7pm on Monday November 22.
Sir David’s family has requested that in lieu of flowers or other tributes, donations are made to the charities Sir David passionately and wholeheartedly supported. These include: Dogs Trust, The Music Man Project, Prost8, Endometriosis UK, and the Dame Vera Lynn Memorial Statue.
A JustGiving page has been set up for donations: Sir David Amess Tribute fundraising on JustGiving