Media backgrounder

Friday, May 26, 11 a.m.

St. Barnabas Anglican Church, 1407 7th Avenue, N.W. Calgary, Alberta.

Note: The funeral begins at 11 a.m. An organist will begin playing at 10 a.m. A video tribute showing photos from Nichola Goddard’s life will be shown beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Military background:

The casket of Captain Nichola Goddard will arrive at St. Barnabas Anglican Church on a military limber. Pallbearers will march on either side of the gun carriage in the funeral procession.

Gun carriages with a special platform for accepting the casket have long been used at military funerals. The gun may be with or without limber and drawn by hand, horse or vehicle. The most popular guns for this purpose are the 25 pounder and the 105-mm C1 Howitzer, because they have excellent stability and a reasonable height for the casket bearing platforms. The use of a gun carriage for a hearse is not restricted to gunners but is customary for all military funerals.

One of the other more noticeable features of military funerals is the custom of reversing the order of things. The soldiers in the guard accompanying the body to the place of burial carry their weapons reversed, and the precedence of those who follow the coffin is reversed.

This custom of reversing things is centuries old. It was carried out by the ancient Greeks for civil funerals, as well as military. The custom of marching with weapons held in the reverse manner is thought to have first been done at the funeral of the Duke of Marlborough, Winston Churchill’s ancestor, in 1722. Today, at Remembrance Day ceremonies across the country, the sight of a Canadian Forces member standing sentry at a war memorial with his weapon reversed and his head bowed is common. To honour Captain Goddard, the guard accompanying the coffin to the church will carry their weapons reversed.

Capt. Goddard’s funeral is occurring on what’s known as Artillery Day. Artillery Day is celebrated annually on the 26th of May. In 1952, then Colonel Commandant, Major-General H.O.N. Brownfield, sought and received permission to adopt the Royal Artillery birthdate (26 May 1716) as Artillery Day for The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery.

Artillery Day may normally be celebrated with special parades, sports days, guest nights, parties, open houses and the like.

Funeral Details

Shortly before 11 a.m., an escort comprised of honorary pallbearers, a “Bearer Party” and a guard of honour will escort the casket on its limber to the church. Upon arrival, the bearers will lift the casket from the limber and carry it into the church.

The honorary pallbearers who will accompany Captain Goddard are all fellow Canadian Forces officers who were her comrades and friends at CFB Shilo, where she was stationed before being deployed to Afghanistan. The members of the bearer party are artillery soldiers from Captain Goddard’s regiment, First Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1 RCHA), which is the senior unit of the regular component of the Canadian Forces. In the Artillery, Private soldiers are known by the rank of Gunner, rather than Private.

The Funeral Commander is Captain Mark Batten

The Commander of the Honour Guard is Captain Andrew Charchuk

Members of the Honorary Bearer Party are:

Capt Mike Drahoe
Capt Todd Welling
Capt Lisa Haveman
Capt Steve Cahill
Capt Craig Ethelson
Capt Stuart Smoley
Capt Alex Sung
Capt Ryan Stimpson

Members of the bearer party are:

Gunner Davey
Gunner Logue
Gunner Tasker
Gunner Shorting
Gunner Houle
Gunner Caron
Gunner Thibeault
Gunner Losier

The Bearer Party Commander is Warrant Officer Wayne Lundrigan

Order of Service

The Officiant: The Rev. Jagdutt Singh, St. Barnabas Anglican Church
Assistants: Lieutenant Commander, The Rev. Fr. Douglas Ohs
The Rev. R.H. Grant Rodgers (he performed the marriage ceremony for Nichola Goddard and Jason Beam.)

The service will use the Book of Common Prayer and follow the Order for Burial of the Dead.

Introit (opening hymn)

Sentences of Comfort (recited by the three priests as they walk down the main church aisle; they will sprinkle Holy Water and sense the aisle with incense as they walk toward the front)

Hymn “O Canada”

Welcome and Greeting Rev. Jagdutt Singh

Hymn “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”

Psalm 23 “The Lord’s My Shepherd”

First Reading A Reading from the Book of Wisdom 3:1-6
Reader: Simon Goddard, Nichola Goddard’s uncle

Second Reading A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Church in Rome
Reader: Alison Armstrong, Nichola Goddard’s aunt

Third Reading The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John
Rev. Jagdutt Singh

Thoughts on Nichola’s Life (Eulogy)
(a) Commanding Officer 1RCHA Major L.M. McGarry
(b) Mr. Jason Beam, Nichola Goddard’s husband
(c) Dr. Tim Goddard, Nichola Goddard’s father

Hymn “The Lord of the Dance”

Homily The Rev. Jagdutt Singh

Hymn: “All Things Bright and Beautiful”

Words by the Brigade Chaplain,
Lieutenant Commander The Rev. Fr. Douglas Ohs

Choir Anthem: “Walk With the Lord”

Sentence

The Apostle’s Creed

Versicles and Responses

The Lord’s Prayer

Versicles and Responses:

Prayers

The Blessing
Hymn “God Save Our Gracious Queen”
Hymn “Amazing Grace”

Organist: Ms Margaret Kosa
Crucifer: Suzanne Roberts

The Bearer Party and Honorary Party will then carry the casket out of the church, followed by the family.

Capt. Nichola Goddard will be interred at the National Military Cemetery of the Canadian Forces in Ottawa in early June.

Contact:

Colleen Turner
Director, Communications
External Relations
University of Calgary
403 220 2920
403 650 1153