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Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's private funeral was held in Manhattan on Friday at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola. The coffin holding Hoffman's body was brought out of the Church by pallbearers and put it a hearse, and family and guests began to stream out Friday afternoon.

The church, on the Upper East Side, has also hosted funerals for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Lena Horne and Aaliyah.

Hoffman was baptized and raised Catholic, but did not go to church regularly as an adult. Rev. James Martin, who is an assisting priest at St. Ignatius Loyola, celebrated the funeral mass, and spoke of the "hope of the resurrection."

According to Martin, Hoffman called himself a Christian believer, was an admirer of Jesus and someone who prayed. Martin told The Huffington Post, "He was a lovely soul and it was a grace to know him."

Martin met the late actor while consulting for an off-Broadway play, "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot."

"Phil Hoffman was not only a baptized Catholic but also a person with a lovely soul, and so deserves a Catholic funeral," Martin said. "And Pope Francis reminds that the sacraments aren't for perfect people; they are for the rest of us."

Among the mourners was Amy Adams, who co-starred with Hoffman in the films "Doubt" and "The Master." Other notables in attendance included Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Ethan Hawke, Brian Dennehey, Ellen Burstyn, Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, Joaquin Phoenix, Louis C.K., Mary Louise Parker, John Slattery, Jerry Stiller, Marisa Tomei, Spike Lee and Sawyer's husband, the director Mike Nichols.

A larger memorial service is planned for later this month, Fox news reports. 

Hoffman was nominated for Academy Awards four times and won the Oscar for Best Actor in 2006 for his portrayal of writer Truman Capote in Capote. He also was nominated three times for a Tony Award.

Earlier this week, a representative let fans know how they could best show their support.

Related: Philip Seymour Hoffman Family Photos

"In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Phil's name to two charities that were very close to his heart: The Dreamyard Project and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. The family wishes to thank everyone for their continued support and good wishes."

The Dreamyard Project is a NYC-based non-profit that focuses on keeping children active in the arts. The Christopher And Dana Reeve Foundation, named for the late Superman star and his wife, is dedicated to research into the treatment of spinal injury and paralysis.

The 46-year-old actor was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of his Manhattan apartment on Sunday by police responding to an emergency 911 call.

Police found Hoffman with a syringe in his arm and recovered plastic bags containing a substance believed to be heroin. Law enforcement sources have told Reuters he died of an apparent drug overdose.

O'Donnell, Philip Seymour Hoffman's long time partner, told investigators that he seemed under the influence of something when she last saw him Saturday afternoon, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Hoffman is survived by his three children - Cooper, 10, Tallulah 7, and Willa, 5 - with O'Donnell. The two met while working on the 1999 play In Arabia We'd All Be Kings, which Hoffman directed. They are not married.