Kristen Pearson, Coordinator
212.371.1011 x3187  kristen.pearson@archny.org
 


  The death of a family member or friend

  confronts us with one of life's most difficult

  and painful challenges. The Pastoral

  Bereavement Program of the Archdiocese of

  New York is the Church's response to God's

  call to comfort those who mourn. The

  Program began almost 20 years ago and has

  grown to include approximately 40 parishes

  throughout the Archdiocese of New York.

 



Bereavement Support Groups

Parish based bereavement support groups facilitated by trained volunteers are the cornerstone of our Pastoral Bereavement Program. Our Bereavement Ministers are lay people, deacons and religious who have been trained in bereavement ministry and who are committed to their work with the bereaved. Many of our volunteers have been called to this ministry through their own experience of loss, others are very active in Parish based ministry and have recognized the need for programs to support those who are grieving.

The support groups typically meet in a parish setting. However, they are open to people of all faiths. While the support groups vary in format and meeting dates, our Bereavement Ministers' goal is to provide a safe place where the bereaved can share their experiences with others, learn about the process of grief and be supported by their Church family during a difficult time. If you are interested in attending a Bereavement Support Group and would like additional information, please call our Program Coordinator at (212) 371-1000, ext. 3187. Or you may refer to the listing of Bereavement Support Centers listed on this website and contact the Parish directly.

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Support Centers in the Archdiocese of New York

The following is a listing of the location of Bereavement Support Centers sponsored by the Family Life + Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of New York. Please call the Parish Office for further information.
 

Click drop down menu to select your county.

 

[For support groups within the Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens,

please call Ingrid Seunarine, at (718) 722-6214.]

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Training Program In Pastoral Bereavement Ministry

Leadership Training for Volunteers

Volunteers may choose a day which best fits their schedules from among four training dates listed below.  (All volunteers must be approved by their pastor prior to training.

The training program comprises a single full-day course.  The day covers topics such as

  • Facilitating support groups
  • Catholic wakes and funerals
  • End-of-life issues
  • The dynamics of different losses (e.g. post-abortion, peri-natal loss, suicide, et al.

Once the facilitator has been trained, the Pastor and facilitator promote the program to the parish, to surrounding parishes, via the http://flrl.org website, and at local funeral homes.  Support groups are open to all faiths, but the essence of the ministry is Christ-centered.

An additional all-day training will be geared toward working with children/adolescents suffering from grief.  This training will be held in January 2008, and includes the Archdiocesan Safe Environment requirement.

 

Pastoral Bereavement Training Sessions

  • Friday, January 11, 2008  |  10:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. Cancelled

    Family Life/Respect Life Office, Manhattan

    Bereavement training for adolescents and children

  • Saturday, January 26, 2008  |  10:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. 

    Holy Rosary Church, Staten Island

  • February and March TBA, 2008  |  10:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.

As Christians, we take seriously God's call to comfort those who mourn. To support our parishes in developing outreach programs to the bereaved, a training program in Pastoral Bereavement Ministry is offered once a year.

The training program is a unique opportunity to receive a foundation in the basics of Bereavement Ministry within the context of the Catholic Faith. For details about the training program, please call the Program Coordinator at (212) 371-1000, ext. 3187.

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Additional Bereavement Resources

Talks/Workshops

The Archdiocesan Bereavement Coordinator gives talks as requested.  Topics include

  • John Paul II’s The Christian Meaning of Human Suffering (Salvifici Doloris)
  • Men and grief
  • Post-abortion trauma
  • How to reach out with compassion

Talks are tailored to the needs of the requesting parish.

Book of the Innocents

A Book of the Innocents will be provided to any parish that wishes to minister to peri-natal loss.  We’ll provide the Book and a suggested bulletin announcement.  The book is placed in the church, perhaps in front of Our Lady and is a simple way to help those that have suffered losses from an abortion, miscarriage, or stillbirth (they write the name of their child in memoriam and, if desired, a brief thought about him or her).  Please contact the Bereavement Coordinator if you would like a Book of the Innocents for your parish.

Post-Abortion Referrals and Presentations

The Bereavement Coordinator also connects priests, laity, clinicians and post-abortive men and women to the proper referral service (e.g. individual counseling, trained Project Rachel priests, and/or support groups and weekend retreats).  As mentioned above, the coordinator also gives workshops and talks on post-abortion trauma and on how to reach out with compassion to those suffering; a particular focus is working with adolescents and young adults to discuss the psychological consequences of abortion in a compassionate way.  The hope-filled message of God’s mercy is delivered sensitively, but with clarity.

Pastoral bereavement material is available.  If your parish would like pamphlets, prayer cards, or other items, please call or email the coordinator directly.

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