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Saint Joseph - Hessen Cassel

Fort Wayne, Indiana

 
 

Grief Ministry


MINISTRY TO THE GRIEVING AND THE BEREAVED 

Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For that which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility, and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality.  And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: “Death is swallowed up in victory.  Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”  The sting of death is sin,  and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

I Corinthians 15: 51-58

Grieving the loss of someone – in whatever form that loss takes place – is a very personal and highly individual experience. The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief.  How you grieve depends on many factors, including your personality and coping style, your life experience, your faith, and the nature of the loss. It is important to understand that grieving is a process which takes time. Healing happens gradually; it can’t be forced or hurried – and there is no “normal” timetable for grieving. Some people start to feel better in weeks or months. For others, the grieving process is measured in years.  Whatever your grief experience, it’s important to be patient with yourself and allow the process to naturally unfold.

To help those who are going through the grieving process, Saint Joseph Parish offers a ministry called the Touchstone Grief Support Group.

The mission of this ministry is to:

  • Proclaim to those who grieve the Lord’s promise:  “Blessed are those who mourn; they will be comforted.”
  • Companion others in their walk through the grief process.
  • Be a blessing to those who mourn.
  • Give hope when all hope seems lost.
  • Assist in the healing of the physical, emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual realms of suffering.

Touchstone Grief Support Group is a Christian interdenominational not-for-profit group which meets the third Tuedsay of each month.  If you have any questions about this ministry, please feel free to contact the parish office.

 

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A MOURNER’S PRAYER

 God of life and death, You have taken a beloved one from me. My heart is very heavy. I recall that Your Son, Jesus Christ, became man in all things except sin and that He groaned in sorrow at the death of His friend, Lazarus. I unite my grief with Yours dear Jesus, as You stood at the tomb of Lazarus.           

O Virgin Mother, you know what it was like losing your husband Joseph, and then your child. dying suspended between earth and heaven, with a sword piercing your sweet soul. To you do I come in sorrow, begging strength from your intercession, from you who fully understand what it is like to lose one so dear and close.           

Share with me, dear Mother of God, the courage, the strong faith that you had in the future resurrection. Even after Jesus came back to life and ascended into heaven, you knew you were to be left alone for many years before your own assumption into heaven. You comforted the Apostles as their Queen and Mother during those years. Grant comfort to me now as I sorrow in pain at the loss by the separation that has come as a result of the sin of our first parents and my own sins. Wipe away my tears with the merciful love of your Immaculate Heart as you unite me with my loved one through the grace of the Sacred Heart of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

                                       Prayerbook for Catholics, Father Robert J. Fox