Be The Light
Grief Support
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St. Gabriel The Archangel Catholic Church
Grief Support Ministry
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." -Psalm 34:18 -
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St. Gabriel’s 10-week Grief Support Group for the bereaved uses as its foundation a 7-video program entitled “The Seven Intentions of Mourning" along with selected videos from the "Walking Through Grief" video series. Each 90-minute Grief Support Group meeting begins and ends with prayer and includes a Scripture Reading & Reflection from the Bible that deals with grief. Each video ranges from twenty to forty minutes, gently walking participants on a path where healing begins, hope is renewed, and love endures. In the discussion segment of each meeting, participants are free to share their experiences or to say nothing at all. No one is asked to share if they do not want to. We also offer supplemental materials for use outside the group, including a list of books, articles, and other information for those in grief.
Each 10-week Grief Support Group is limited in size to 12 participants. Spouses are considered as one. Groups are kept small so that the members are comfortable sharing their stories with a smaller group whose bonds with one another are strengthened over the course of the ten weeks.
St. Gabriel’s Grief Support Groups are to be regarded by all participants as “sacred spaces” where no one reveals anything shared within the group outside of the group. These Grief Support Groups are intended for adults 18 and older. The groups are open to all, regardless of parish or religious affiliation; advance registration is required because of the limited size of each group. If you are interested in joining a future group, please contact Linda at [email protected]. Our autumn 2024 group has already started; our Spring 2025 group will begin in March. More information will be posted soon, but you can contact Linda if you'd like to pre-register.
NEW FOR AUTUMN 2024:SPANISH-LANGUAGE GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP, 8 weeks beginning September 27 on Friday evenings from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Please phone the St. Gabriel office at 719-528-8407 for more information.
"WHEN A LOVED ONE DIES BY SUICIDE" SUPPORT GROUP, for those who have experienced the suicide of a loved one, 8 weeks beginning September 24 on Tuesday evenings from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Please contact Linda at [email protected] or at 719-528-8407 for more information.
For additional information about St. Gabriel's Grief Support ministry:Contact
Linda Popolano
[email protected]
719-528-8407
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Our Goal
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One of the many goals of St. Gabriel’s Grief Support Groups is to foster bonds of fellowship among those who have walked alone in their grief. There is healing to be found in sharing one’s grief experience with others who understand because they have suffered through a similar experience.
Another goal of St. Gabriel’s Grief Support Groups is to find healing in serving others who are suffering. Just as Christ died to redeem us, there is redeeming power in serving others. We live in a society that denies death and asks us to minimize grieving. Often, God gives purpose to our grieving by allowing us to use it to serve others.
St.Gabriel’s Grief Support Groups are open to anyone regardless of parish affiliation or religion.
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Autumn 2024 10-week
Grief Support GroupBegins September 12, 2024, Thursday evenings,
6:30pm - 8:00pm -
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thursday evenings, 6:30pm - 8:00pmAUTUMN 2024 GROUP CALENDAR:
1. Thursday, September 1
2. Thursday, September 19
3. Thursday, September 26
4. Thursday, October 3
5. Thursday, October 10
6. Thursday, October 17
7. Thursday, October 24
THURSDAY, October 31 – Halloween - (NO MEETING)
8. Thursday, November 7
9. Thursday, November 14
10. Thursday, November 21
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Feedback
Below are two comments from the participants in our first Grief Support group held in Autumn 2021: -
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“Being able to talk to people who listen with compassion makes me feel less alone in my sorrow. No one is trying to tell anyone what to do, how to feel, or to respond to their grief. They just want to be there with me, and they let me be there with them. That gift of their presence is holy.”
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“I am a young widow who felt I wouldn’t belong in the group, but now I am very grateful to have made life-long friends. My young children have also benefitted from the love and support of the grief group.”
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Volunteer & SupportOur Ministry Needs You!
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Want to Help Our Grief Support Ministry?
Our hope is to expand this ministry, to include more frequent groups, as well as Spanish-language Grief Support groups and a Grief Support group uniquely for those who are survivors of a suicide of a loved one. To enlarge this ministry, we will need volunteers who are willing to help facilitate or substitute facilitate these additional groups.
Whether or not you have a background in this area, you are welcome to join the Grief Support Ministry. We have found that the best training for those interested in helping is to attend attend a full session of group meetings as an observer, also helping with setting up for each meeting and learning from Dcn. Dave, who is the clergy facilitator for Grief Support, and the team facilitating with him.
If you have experienced your own grief journey and have found significant healing through your faith, consider joining our ministry to help others still struggling with grief. If you have any questions or would like more information on how you can help with Grief Support, please contact:
Linda Popolano
Email: [email protected]
Phone the Office: 719-528-8407.
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