Bereavement Ministry

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

This month we share more about our Bereavement Ministry. Bereavement Ministry is dedicated to supporting those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Those in this ministry provide assistance at funeral liturgies such as serving as a lector and setting up for services.

We also hope to expand this ministry and work with those who may need more support in groups or activities and come together in prayer.

"For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." – Romans 8:38-39

Funeral Team members may serve as lectors if someone is needed during funeral liturgies. They may also help with preparing the church by opening the building, setting up for the funeral liturgy, and helping behind the scenes. Funerals are typically scheduled during the week in the mornings, but there are liturgies on the weekends and later in the day. 

“Let your understanding strengthen your patience. In serenity look forward to the joy that follows sadness.” — St. Peter Damian

When we think about grief and loss, we think about the effect it has on our family, ourselves, and our community. Grief is different for everyone. As a parish community, we are working to find ways to provide support and care for others, as well as supporting ourselves in our own healing process.

We are looking for parishioners who are interested in starting a support group within the Bereavement Ministry. This is in the very early stages of development, and we’d like to hear from community members who may be involved, or those who may have ideas for how the ministry can support our community. We would like to look into hosting reoccurring meetings for the group as well as planning events and activities.

We invite all who are interested in joining the Funeral Team or would like to get more involved with the Bereavement Ministry and have ideas for ways to serve our community to contact us.