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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
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Facilitating support groups
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Catholic wakes and funerals
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End-of-life issues
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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
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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
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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
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John Paul II’s
The Christian Meaning of
Human Suffering (Salvifici Doloris)
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Men and grief
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Post-abortion trauma
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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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212.371.1011 x3187
