To provide emotional and spiritual support to those who are grieving the death of a loved one.
GriefShare is a 13-week grief support group that meets at St. Catherine's. GriefShare is a faith-based program that utilizes videos, small group discussions, and a personal workbook to encourage healing from grief. Participants can join at any time. The cost is $20.00 for all materials; scholarship assistance is available. Pre-registration is encouraged. Contact Paula White to register. For more information about GriefShare, please visit their website, watch this brief video, or visit the GriefShare Facebook page.
As you continue to mourn the loss of your loved one, our prayers are still with you. St Catherine of Siena parish offers the GriefShare programs which may be of help to you, your family and friends as you make your way through this journey of grief. The GriefShare programs are presented from the Christian perspective. In each session there is a video featuring grieving people sharing their feelings, struggles and triumphs as they make their way through a season of grief. We also hear from pastors, counselors, and past participants who share pearls of wisdom to help us on our way. We then have some time to discuss the video, and if we choose, we may share our own experiences. Each program has a take-home guidebook with helpful information and an outline of each session, along with scriptural references which many participants have found very helpful. There are two different GriefShare programs coming up:
On Tuesday, January 17th, 2023, from 6:30 - 8:30 pm, St Catherine will offer the Loss of a Spouse seminar. This session focuses specifically on the grief of the surviving spouse, offering information, reflections, prayer and advice on this particularly difficult passage of life. The video and the guidebook provide insights into the many aspects of grief and make suggestions for dealing with the challenges of widowhood. This program also serves as an introduction to the 13-week GriefShare program for those desiring to learn more as they journey thru their grief. The registration fee for this seminar is $5.00 which includes the guidebook.
On Tuesday, February 21st, 2023, from 6:30 - 8:30 pm, St Catherine will begin the 13-week GriefShare program. This is for anyone who has lost a loved one and is seeking to learn more about how to successfully navigate the grief journey. We meet on Tuesday evening for 13 consecutive weeks. There is a workbook which accompanies this program. Participants view a video, may take notes, and share in a discussion of the video which addresses different aspects of the grieving process. Sharing is voluntary! Over the course of the 13 weeks, we create a sacred space for the work of grieving which is often not found in our everyday lives. The registration fee for this program is $20.00 and includes the workbook which is ordered online at the time of registration.
An annual service is held in early November (around the Feast of All Soul's Day) for those who wish to remember their deceased family and friends. During the prayer service, family members are invited to light a candle in remembrance of their loved one. In a special way, we honor those from our parish who have died in the past year.