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Thornbury vicar John Suddard's funeral to be held Thornbury vicar John Suddard's funeral is held
(about 12 hours later)
The funeral of Thornbury vicar John Suddards is due to be held later at the church where he served as the parish priest. More than 450 people have attended the funeral of vicar John Suddards at the church where he served as the parish priest.
Mr Suddards, 59, was found stabbed dead at his vicarage in Thornbury on 14 February. Mr Suddards, 59, was found stabbed to death at his vicarage in Thornbury near Bristol on 14 February.
Stephen Farrow, 47, is accused of murdering him and Betty Yates, 77, from Bewdley in Worcestershire.Stephen Farrow, 47, is accused of murdering him and Betty Yates, 77, from Bewdley in Worcestershire.
The service, a requiem mass, will be led by the Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Reverend Michael Perham. The service, a requiem mass, was led by the Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Reverend Michael Perham.
The Archdeacon of Cheltenham, the Venerable Robert Springett, will also take part in the service. 'Easter faith'
The service will begin at 13:00 GMT at St Mary's Church in Thornbury. The Archdeacon of Cheltenham, the Venerable Robert Springett, also took part in the service.
Speaking ahead of the service, The Venerable Geoffrey Sidaway, Archdeacon of Gloucester, paid tribute to Mr Suddards.
"It's seven weeks of course since these communities were rocked by the tragic death of their parish priest," he said.
"Today we have brought John back here to the church he loved and served for a funeral Eucharist led by the Bishop of Gloucester.
"There will be friends here from his parish in the Diocese of Chelmsford, from Gloucestershire and further afield.
"A great celebration of John's life and Ministry and of Easter faith and hope."
Bruce Goodwin, the curate at St Mary's who worked alongside Mr Suddards, said: "There have been different ways in which people have tried to remember John.
"We had a service early on, and then a vigil and now the funeral today will be a degree of closure in some ways for some people to come to terms with his death."
Mr Suddards had taken his post in Thornbury last July, having come from the Diocese of Chelmsford in Essex.
The Archdeacon of Gloucester said: "John was a lovely man, he was a kind man, a generous man.
"There's a lovely story that he used to light a lamp every night during his Ministry to signal to parishioners he was there for them if they needed him.
"And we now know that made him very vulnerable.
"He was also a very gifted man, a very able man and had a great sense of humour."
The communion service at St Mary's church in Thornbury is expected to last about two hours.
After the funeral he will be cremated and his ashes will be interred at his family's church in Dorset.