About me
Hello, I am Helen van Rijs, a non religious Funeral Celebrant
It was when my first husband, Harmen died from Motor Neurone Disease in 2007 that I discovered non-religious funerals were available. Talking to the Celebrant and then celebrating Harmen's life gave me so much comfort rather than mourning his illness and death.
A few years later I started taking my Therapy Dog (PAT dog) to a local Nursing Home and there I met a lady with MS. She was my age, use to take in rescue dogs and I really connected with her as there were so many similarities. When she died it really hit me and I dreaded going to her funeral - but I walked out totally enlightened. I’d only known this lady for the last three years of her bed bound life but during the Humanist Ceremony I got to hear about the person she was before her illness. I was so inspired that I wanted to provide this type of ceremony for other people I trained to become a Humanist Funeral Celebrant.
I feel it a great privilege to meet family and friends of someone who has died and it is heart-warming to listen to memories of that person. Together we’ll gather material to craft a ceremony that is unique, with tributes, readings and music that capture the essence of the person and the life they lived. These enrich the memories for those left behind and people find that this type of ceremony provides much comfort at a very difficult time.
Helen