Queen of the Holy Rosary C at h o l i c C h u r c h
Bereavement Ministry W
OFFERS ESSENTIAL
hen a loved one passes away, we are to her as one that is very important, even often blessed with immediate supthough it is quite simple. port. People attend the wake and funer“This ministry is one we could conal, and are usually there for us with meals, tinue during the COVID-19 pandemic,” flowers and words of support. But it’s the Patty says. “There was so little we could weeks and months after losing a loved do, because we couldn’t gather, but this is one that can be the most difficult. People one we could continue.” move on with their lives, and the sadness When Patty is alerted that a parishand isolation can become overwhelming ioner has passed away, she chooses a for the bereaved. In particular, the holidays, ministry member and provides all the birthdays and anniversaries can really be information to the person so they can difficult. Our Queen of the Holy Rosary mail personalized cards and letters to the Patty Miller leads the Bereavement Ministry is there to support family for 10 to 12 months. Most minisBereavement Ministry. the bereaved for “the long haul.” try members have one to three families to For about a year after a death, the ministry members con- whom they are sending cards. All the necessary supplies tinue offering support in the form of prayer cards and en- are provided to the ministry members. couraging words, all of which are mailed. An interpretation Sometimes, the writers don’t know the family at all. Howfrom Psalm 91:11 is an example of one such card, “For he ever, Patty remembers a time she was writing to a mother shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your who had lost her daughter. Patty knew the daughter, so this ways.” made it all the more special and meaningful. It was a beautiPatty Miller has led this ministry for about four years. ful way to support the mother in her time of great loss. She is thankful for the 25 or so members who assist by Sheila Bielak, who serves as a writer for the Bereavement acting as “writers,” sending cards and words of encour- Ministry, feels blessed to be a part of this ministry. agement to bereaved families. Parish involvement is very “I love that we are able to share with the bereaved that they important to Patty, and she lends her time and talents and their loved one are not forgotten, and that our parish to several ministries. But this ministry really stands out community remembers them and prays for them,” Sheila says.
“The loss of a loved one is overwhelming. You see the lives of those around you continuing as if nothing has changed, but yours has undeniably changed. This is why I’m so grateful for the notes of encouragement and the reminder of God’s love that I received from the Bereavement Ministry. For me, it was a gentle acknowledgment that my loss mattered.” — PAM CARTER 4
