Church Ordered Woman to remove Headstone from partner's grave.

A grieving woman has been ordered by a church to remove the headstone from her partner's grave - because it has kisses on it.

Janet Corless, 52, was devastated when her partner of 30 years Mike Howsey died in January this year, aged 49. He died from a pulmonary embolism caused by deep vein thrombosis.

To commemorate her partner, she spent £2,000 on a loving tribute with an inscription containing two small kisses on the headstone and one on the base, as well as the phrase 'sleep tight Dad'. The headstone was erected on May 2. 

Ms Corless said she was 'absolutely heartbroken' by the decision by the church to remove the headstone, which she had erected on May 2 to commemorate her partner, Mike Howsey, who died in January this year

But Ms Corless and daughter Sophie, 19, have had to remove the stone after the Roman Catholic church told them the inscription was 'inappropriate'. 

Ms Corless, a primary school supervisor from Walton-le-Dale in Lancashire, was disgusted by the decision, especially as she said other headstones in the churchyard had similar phrases and kisses.

She said: 'The priest took exception to the little kisses and the phrase "sleep tight Dad".

'I can't believe it. It's so callous and I'm absolutely heartbroken.

'It's only seven months since Mike died suddenly right in front of Sophie and me and it is still very raw.

'The headstone we chose was beautiful and we were delighted with it when it was put on the grave.
Mike Howsey (pictured) died in January this year. His partner, Janet Corless, spent £2,000 on a tribute but has been ordered to remove the headstone because it was deemed 'inappropriate'
'But when they told us the inscription was inappropriate and would have to go it was a complete bombshell.
'I had a meeting with the priest and pleaded with him to allow it but he seemed totally unsympathetic.
'He said the kisses weren't acceptable on the headstone and neither was the phrase on the base.
'I couldn't believe it and I just stormed out. I was hysterical.'
She added: 'Mike meant the world to us. It's hard enough coping with our loss without having something like this making it worse.
'Why can't they show some compassion?'
Ms Corless said her partner died suddenly after he became ill last Christmas.
'Mike became really poorly the week after Christmas. He nearly passed out when walking upstairs and so he went to the doctors.
'They thought he was badly anaemic and needed a blood transfusion so he had that on New Year's Day.
'He was sent home and a few days later he collapsed and died. It's been an incredibly difficult time for us and me and my daughter worked hard to get the money together so we could get a special headstone.
'We don't have another £2,000 to spend on another one but Cocker Memorials, who supplied the headstone, have been very kind to us and so hopefully we won't have to."

Ms Corless, a primary school supervisor from Walton-le-Dale in Lancashire, was disgusted by the decision by St Mary's Brownedge Church in Bamber Bridge, Lancashire, to remove the headstone 

Cocker Memorials, who are based in Preston, insisted the inscription was authorised before it was erected at St Mary's Brownedge Church in Bamber Bridge, Lancashire.

Company director Michelle Howe, said she had received verbal approval from the church before the stone was erected.

'Sometimes we get written confirmation and sometimes it's done with a phone call.

'This was over the phone.

'We wouldn't have gone ahead and made the headstone if we didn't have approval.

'But it now looks like we will have to make an entirely new one because covering up the letters won't look right.'

Miss Howsey, the daughter of Ms Corless and Mr Howsey, added: 'The priest said we could have "sleep tight Dad", but on a separate piece of stone - not on the headstone.

'So, really, it's just down to those little kisses.

'I've been round the churchyard and there are other headstones with kisses on.

'It seems ridiculous.'

A local parishioner at St Mary's Brownedge Church said: 'The priest is straight down the line.

'Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with it but he's a bit old school.'

Father George Corrie at St Mary's said: 'We extend our deepest sympathies to Ms Corless at this difficult time and will be working closely with the stonemason to make sure her partner's headstone is erected correctly as soon as possible.'

A spokesman for the Diocese of Salford, which includes Bamber Bridge, was unavailable for comment.