Journey to Light - Bereavement Ministry

All who have experienced the loss of a loved one are welcome to join us for the Journey to Light Bereavement Ministry

New Participants Always Welcome!

The Bereavement Ministry at St. Aloysius welcomes anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one, at whatever stage of the journey.  The purpose of this ministry is to accompany and guide participants through their grieving process and to compassionately meet people where they are.  Our main resource book, the New Day Journal By Mauryeen O’Brien, O.P., is supplemented by the work of Harold Ivan Smith, The A,B,Cs of Healthy Grieving and  A Decembered Grief, Jan Warner, Grief Day-by-Day, Martha W. Hickman, Healing After Loss, Paula D’Arcy, Grief – A Formidable Foe, A Fierce Ally, and pertinent articles.

Grief is a normal process; it is a journey of utmost importance and is not bound by a timeline. Grief demands our attention: we learn to manage it seamlessly when we are supported by prayer and accompanied by others on the same journey. Participants in our parish Bereavement Ministry listen to and encourage one another with a caring, compassionate spirit.

The group is led by Patricia Pagano LCSW, who has been a clinician for over 20 years. She has experience working with grief and trauma groups, has been a St. A’s parishioner for over 5 years, and is also a trained Stephen Minister. Patricia encourages self-reflection and facilitates the discussion that arises. A core group who have participated for several years generously share their experiences while offering a listening ear and support. Each person who attends brings an added dimension to the session that is invaluable to the healing that God provides. We begin and end each session with prayer. 
 
We meet at St. A’s Stapleton Hall upstairs in the Maple Street Room on some Wednesdays from 7:15pm – 9pm. Here is the schedule for 2024-2025: 
 
1 Wednesday September 18th 7:15pm – NEW SESSION BEGINS – Task 1
2 October 2 –  Task 2
3 October 23 – Task 3
4 November 13 – Task 4 – focus on holidays
5 December 4 – Task 5 – focus on holidays
6 December 18 – Task 6 – focus on holidays
7 January 8 – Part 2 New Life and closure
 
8 January 29 –  NEW SESSION BEGINS – Task 1
9 February 12 – Task 2
10 February 26 – Task 3
11 March 12 – Task 4
12 April 2 – Task 5
13 April 23 – Task 6
14 May 7 – New life and closure
15 May 21 – optional dinner out for both session attendees
 
Do feel free to let others know about the group who may benefit from participating. For more information regarding our parish program of support and direction, please contact Patricia Pagano:  bereavement@starcc.com