Grief Resources

Losing a loved one is wrenching, and, in times of grief, wordy reading on healing offers little solace. In ABCs of Healthy Grieving, nationally recognized grief educator Harold Ivan Smith combines over twenty-five years of professional experience into seventy-two brief suggestions that treat particular aspects of living with grief day to day. Each suggestion starts with a letter of the alphabet and ends with an "I can" statement that offers both realistic hope and a goal toward which to strive. Readers can read ABCs of Healthy Grieving cover to cover or choose a single topic to help them through each day.

Author: Harold Ivan Smith

Format: Paperback

Pages: 176

Trim size: 5 x 7 inches

ISBN: 978-1-59471-127-5

On-sale date: May 1, 2007

Offering solace and encouragement to those who grieve is a critical aspect of the church's ministry of mercy and love. To find your place within grief ministry and plan this important ministry from first response to spiritual guidance, there is no better mentor than Fr. Terence Curley. In this guide, Fr. Curley pays attention to all of the factors contributing to a grief minister's multifaceted work, including parish support and his or her own loss history. Symptoms of loss, trust, and hints for conversations with the grieving are topics touched by this detailed and sensitive guide. This book, a fully revised edition of Fr. Curley's earlier book The Ministry of Consolers, is a necessary tool for parishes, hospices, educational institutions, and all those attending to the bereaved.

Author: Terence P. Curley

104 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 Paperback

Publication Date: 02/11/2016

A Sourcebook about Christian Death compiled by Virginia Sloyan

This anthology contains a gathering of poetry, prose, scripture, and prayers about death, arranged for the days of November. Topics include the communion of saints, prayers for the dead, heaven, rest, pilgrimage, and resurrection. It is an ideal tool for homily or funeral preparation or for personal prayer and reflection.

978-0-929650-09-8 | Paperback | 6 x 9 | 160 pages

Our Faithful Departed: Where They Are and Why It Matters

Awarded third place in theology by the Association of Catholic Publishers and third place in grief and bereavement by the Catholic Media Association.

When someone we love dies, it's difficult to look beyond our grief to understand that they are still with us.

And yet we hear in the funeral liturgy that life is changed not ended. InOur Faithful Departed, University of Notre Dame theologian Leonard J. DeLorenzo shows us what this means and how we are called to remain faithful in our relationships with the dead.

Those whom we have known and loved in this life we have only known and loved partially, imperfectly, DeLorenzo writes. In heaven, what has been partial shall be made complete, and what has been imperfect shall be perfected.

He explains that the Catholic Church teaches that heaven is not so much a place as it is a perfect communion in Christ where the living and the dead are forever united.

In this book, you will learn that:

• St. Teresa of Calcutta thought of her own life as a practice for heaven;
• the Eucharist is a prayer for the dead, an offering brought to the altar;
• Da de los Muertosis an understanding that death is not the opposite of life, but part of it;
• Christ wants us to broaden and deepen our notions of the body;
• we can practice communion with the dead by praying for them, remembering them by name during the Mass, sharing memories of them, and celebrating them in devotional practices.

DeLorenzo relates his own story of the loss of his grandparents and shares heartwarming experiences from other Catholics including Laura Kelly Fanucci, Stephanie DePrez, and John Cavadini who have felt the connection with their lost friends and loved ones.

DeLorenzo said that the Church must encourage communion with the dead through public acts such as Eucharistic processions, prayer, monthly adoration with prayers for the souls in purgatory, and by accompanying the grieving with tenderness and compassion.

Pages: 160

Trim size: 5 x 7 inches

ISBN: 9781646801671

There is nothing you need more than the warm, reassuring voice of one who has traveled this path before. . . and survived after suffering the death of a spouse. In Finding Your Way After Your Spouse Dies, Marta Felber offers just such a voice-caring, hopeful, always pointing ahead to a tomorrow that will be a little easier than today. Having experienced her own spouse's death, Felber is never glib or simplistic. She knows the grief her readers are feeling and she encourages them to give it full expression. At the same time, she offers sound, practical suggestions on how to navigate difficult days. This book shies away from none of the difficult issues of bereavement. Felber gently urges her readers toward careful, honest examination of the issues they face.Author: Richard Gilbert

Author: Marta Felber

Format: Paperback

Pages: 160

Trim size: 5.x 8.inches

ISBN: 978-0-87793-932-0

On-sale date: February 1, 2000

May You Find Comfort: A Blessing for Times of Grieving

Bereavement ministers, parish nurses, priests, deacons, and other members of pastoral teams will appreciate this simple booklet as a gift for the bereaved. It offers an elegant prayer and meditation in a beautiful layout, expressing the deep care and concern of the faith community.

Joyce Rupp is well known for her best-selling books on spiritual growth, but she is also the author of numerous books on grief and consolation, including Praying Our Goodbyes and her recently published Now That You've Gone Home: Courage and Comfort for Times of Grief, from which this booklet is drawn.

Author: Joyce Rupp

5" x 7" booklet

32 pages

March 1, 2010

"To be honest, at this point only two things interest me: my oncologist's advice and if you can teach me to pray."

So began a two-year correspondence between a medical doctor who became a priest, Benedictine monk, and now prior of Montserrat the monastery that is a spiritual, cultural, historical, and environmental icon in Catalonia and an accomplished and beloved cardiologist, scientist, mentor, daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend with a newly diagnosed lung tumor. In this profoundly honest book, two spiritual seekers on two different life-paths walk together through the valley of the shadow of death, praying the psalms in joy and anguish, doubt and praise.

The letters and conversations shared between Magda and Fr. Ignasi offer deep and poignant insights into the very human and quotidian dynamics of the life-and-death journey we all face.

Author: Magda Heras and Ignasi Fossas, Translated by Elaine M. Lilly

ISBN: 9780814688007
Details: 168 pgs , 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 Paperback

We Will Miss You: Support for Grieving the Death of a Pet (DVD). "Animals are guileless. That sort of honesty touches the human heart in a unique way. It allows us to see a better side of ourselves than sometimes is visible in our relationships with our fellow human beings."- Brother Christopher Savage, New Skete Monastery. We learn love, faithfulness, and trust by living closing with our beloved animal companions. We invest a deep part of ourselves in the relationships we have with them. They are our family. At the death of a pet, we become vividly aware of the loss, and we need support that understands the depth of our love and attachment. This video offers this level of support as you grieve the death of a pet who was a companion, a family member, and a friend. 33 minutes. Topics include: The human-pet relationship is unique, Grief can be unexpected, You may experience feelings of guilt, Women, men, and children grieve differently, Other pets will also grieve, Some people will not understand, Create your own simple funeral or memorial, Consider whether to get another pet, Ritual is important.

When parents find themselves alone after their children move out of the houseor when anyone's loved one moves out of the homethey may experience a very real sense of loneliness, lack of purpose, and even grief. These prayerful reflections on the Joseph story, the incarnation, and the last discourse of Jesus offer comfort and challenge to anyone with an empty nest. The word of God has the power to help empty nesters change, let go, and love anew.

Author: Thomas D. Sauline

40 pages , 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 paperback

Publication Date: 04/10/2017

Loss comes to each of us, without fail. Scripture can serve as a companion to us in the grief we bear and ultimately in our surrender to our compassionate God. Through this set of insightful reflections on the stories of Ruth and Naomi, the death and raising of Jesus' friend Lazarus, and the promise of a new heaven and earth, Laura Kelly Fanucci invites us to a deepening experience of God's healing presence in our lives.

Author: Laura Kelly Fanucci

44 pages , 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 paperback

Publication Date: 01/22/2018

Winter of the Heart: Finding Your Way through the Mystery of Grief

We can't really prepare for grief. The only experts on grief are those who have survived it and then helped others do the same.

Retreat leader, former psychotherapist, and bestselling author Paula D"Arcy is one of those experts. In Winter of the Heart, she shares her life"s work, accompanying you through seasons of grief and the emotions that come with the loss of a loved one or after other major changes in life.

Winter of the Heart is a companion for anyone early in grieving process for the person experiencing shock, emotional pain, an inability to move, guilt, intense anger, and a range of other emotions that might be new to you.

D"Arcy lost her young husband and toddler in a violent car accident more than four decades ago. She understands your grief and can also help you look to what"s on the other side hope, acceptance, recognition that what you are experiencing is both common and unique, and the essential counsel that you need not ever "get over it."

Winter of the Heart is for those who mourn the death of a loved one, but it is also for counselors and pastoral ministers. You"ll find D'Arcy's words relevant for other occasions when mourning can be painful, including the end of a marriage, job loss, and other major life changes.

Author: Paula D'Arcy

ISBN: 9781594717635

5" x 7" Paperback

64 pages

On-sale date: February 16, 2018

Deeply spiritual and personal reflections from distinguished theologian Richard R. Gaillardetz.

Diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, theologian Dr. Richard R. Gaillardetz started sharing his thoughts and reflections on CaringBridge and signed off each entry with the Latin phrase "dum spiro, spero" ("While I breathe, I hope"). In his chronologically compiled essays, Rick moves through his final season of life seeking insight from his Christian faith, while discovering new meaning in the signs and symbols that mark familiar liturgical seasons and celebrations. He explores fears and doubts, joys and sufferings, and the graces and blessings he encounters along his final journey. With shots of humor, a few sports analogies, and a sprinkling of quotes from Karl Rahner, Rick offers wisdom for all in his poignant exploration of what it means to be a person of faith, entering the paschal mystery, ever hopeful for the life to come.

ISBN: 9780814688663
Details: 256 pgs , 5 x 8 Paperback

Facing your ultimate death can be scary, but in light of God's promises, it doesn't have to be. Finish Line provides practical and biblical help on topics such as finances, blessing others, end-of-life choices, heaven, and caring for those you leave behind so you can approach your own finish line with hope, joy, and peace.

It's normal to have questions about how to face the last season of our lives well, and though we long to end our lives with grace and gratitude, sometimes we feel fear and uncertainty instead.

Robert Wolgemuth knows what it is like to face death, having lost his first wife of almost 45 years to cancer and battling cancer twice himself. Finish Line distills a lifetime of spiritual wisdom as Robert helps you:

• Find true peace and reassurance about the end of life
• Discover the things you can do to prepare those you love before you die
• Understand the truth about heaven and what God has for his followers in the next life
• Learn from people in the Bible about what crossing the finish line should--and shouldn't--look like
• Take care of specifics such as planning your funeral service, determining end-of-life issues, and preparing a will
• Let go of physical, relational, and emotional clutter
• Receive what God has for you in your final years

A rich guide for this season of your life, Finish Line offers unvarnished--even lighthearted--truth to comfort your heart, practical help to ease your mind, and a reminder of God's promises to comfort your spirit so you can look toward your own finish line with both peace and hope.

Dr. Stephen Doran draws from his vast experience as a neurosurgeon, a bioethicist, and a permanent deacon to present the Catholic perspective on the art of dying well. The spiritual and moral issues related to death and the process of dying can be challenging and complicated. To Die Well provides a detailed yet readily understandable guide to these topics.

Each chapter begins with a story from Dr. Doran's personal or professional life that not only provides context for the topic at hand but also gently draws the reader toward the personal realities of dying. The first part focuses on the moral issues that surround death and dying, including end-of-life medical decisions. The second part is devoted to the Catholic spiritual understanding of dying and the rites that accompany the death of a Catholic.

To Die Well will help readers contemplate, pray about, and prepare for the end of their earthly lives.

Whatever you are going through as you read this, you need to hear these words: God sees you, He loves you, and your story is not over. Every tear you shed is precious to Him. Your suffering is not in vain.

This collection of heartfelt essays, eye-catching word art, inspiring Scripture verses, honest prayers, and uplifting photography will meet you in your place of pain, offering solace and refuge for your weary soul.

Lovingly written by Lindsey Wheeler, a pastor’s wife and adoptive mom who lives with chronic pain, Sacred Tears will bring you the blessed respite you’ve been longing for and remind you that you are never alone. You’ll discover what to do when you feel far from God, how to trust Him even when you don’t understand His plan for you, and how to handle the difficult decisions that often accompany painful situations. All this and more await inside.

Experience the hope and comfort only God can provide.

ISBN: 9780736981736

Pages: 160

In times of suffering, simple answers often ring empty and hollow--so how can you find hope in hard times? Learn how to survive the difficult seasons with the comfort and of God's constancy. With sensitive, practical advice, Henri Nouwen gently points you towards a life that is grounded in God’s companionship and rooted within eternal hope.

In this newly formatted edition, Turn My Mourning into Dancing discusses five movements we experience during hard times:

• From Our Little Selves to a Larger World
• From Holding Tight to Letting Go
• From Fatalism to Hope
• From Manipulation to Love
• From a Fearful Death to a Joyous Life

Nouwen has discovered that healing begins with taking our pain out of its toxic isolation and seeing our sufferings in communion with all humanity and all creation. He teaches us that our little lives participate in something much larger. Turn My Mourning into Dancing is compelling reading for:

• Those looking for growth and insight amid life’s hard and harsh moments
• Anyone grieving and searching for reassurance
• Anyone who has experienced a loss or betrayal

Though it may not last forever, grief is a gradual, organic process that changes a person permanently. Nouwen guides you during your hard times toward answers and hope--hope that allows you to dance even through the darkest night.