Ministry of Consolation: A Parish Guide for Comforting the Bereaved

The parish is an extraordinarily appropriate place for the bereaved to come to terms with their grief and loss in the light of the Good News. Ever since the promulgation of the new Order of Christian Funerals in 1989, pastors, pastoral workers and caregivers have been called to find innovative and psychologically sound ways of working with the griefstricken. They will find in this book a wealth of helpful ideas to aid them in this important field of grief ministry, from ways to hold committee meetings, to the importance of letting the family share memories of the deceased, to the appropriate ministry in the months following the funeral. Other features include handy checklists for caregivers, and the use of the Psalms in helping the bereaved to see their loss in the hopefilled perspective of God's word. Ministering to the bereaved is an especially difficult pastoral duty. The Ministry of Consolation will help make it less stressful and more fruitful for those engaged in this invaluable work.

About the Author: The pastor of St. Susanna Parish in Dedham, MA, Fr. Terence P. Curley is currently working with the Archdiocese of Boston’s Family Life Apostolate developing a comprehensive ministry of consolation for the bereaved. He has taught graduate courses at Emmanuel College in Boston and as an adjunct faculty member at Lesley College Graduate School for Counseling Psychology and Expressive Therapy, Cambridge. Alba House published his The Ministry of Consolation: A Parish Guide for Comforting the Bereaved (1993), Healing the Broken-Hearted: Consoling the Grief-Stricken (1995), A Way of the Cross for the Bereaved (1996), Six Steps for Managing Loss, Healing: Questions and Answers for Those Who Mourn (2002) and a video entitled Journey to Healing: A Ministry for the Bereaved (1995).