By Joe Pisani
NORWALK — Carolyn Killian, Director of Bereavement for the Diocese of Bridgeport, believes our society often ignores people who are grieving because death is an uncomfortable topic.
“Many people have difficulty associating with someone who has suffered the loss of a loved one,” she says. “Society tends to ignore them, and this only adds to their pain. As part of our ministry, we are continuing outreach to grieving people to let them know we support them during this difficult time in their lives.”
The bereavement ministry of Catholic Cemeteries began offering the New Day bereavement program in the spring of 2022, and since then more than 100 people have taken it and the Emmaus retreats. New Day is currently being offered in seven parishes throughout the diocese and will be in 10 by the spring, when it will be given in Spanish for the first time.
In upcoming months, New Day will be offered at:
1. St. Mary’s, Bethel
October 18 – December 20th (no session Nov. 22)
Wednesday afternoons 2:30 – 4:00pm
2. Bridgeport session
Location to be determined
Wednesday Evenings 7:00 – 8:30pm
3. St. Thomas More, Darien WAIT LIST ONLY
October 3 – November 28
Tuesday afternoons 2:30 – 4:00pm
4. St. Michael the Archangel, Greenwich WAIT LIST ONLY
September 27 – November 29
Wednesday afternoons – 4:00 – 5:30pm (no session Nov. 22)
5. St. Catherine of Siena & St. Agnes, Riverside
October 10 – December 5
Tuesday afternoons 4:00 – 5:30pm
6. Church of the Holy Spirit, Stamford
October 10 – December 5
Tuesday mornings 10:00 – 11:30am.
7. Church of the Assumption, Westport
October 4 – December 6
Wednesday afternoons 2- 3:30pm (no session Nov. 22)
Killian said New Day has distinguished itself for decades as a highly successful faith-based, small group support program, which provides a structured pathway so people can have an opportunity “to find a place of healing and feelings of peace and comfort.”
“We have seen young people and old people in deep grief,” Killian said. “We’ve seen many, many parents who have lost children. There are so many people struggling to figure out how to go forward with incredible loss, and this offers a way to see where God is in their grief journey.”
The nine-week program meets once a week for 90 minutes. The format includes prayer, Scripture reading, journaling and sharing responses to directed questions in a confidential setting. It is based on “The New Day Journal” by Sister Mauryeen O’Brien.
The participants are guided to accept the reality of the loss, experience the pain of grief and find a way to remember the deceased while embarking on the rest of life’s journey, Killian said.
“We rely on the comfort provided by our Lord, and the compassion extended by fellow participants, to meet the life-changing challenges presented by loss,” she said.
“New Day,” with materials in English and Spanish, is based on a textbook written by psychologist J. William Worden, a foremost authority on grief. The late Dominican Sister Mauryeen O’Brien, who had decades of experience as a grief counselor, put his work into a Catholic framework and developed “The New Day Journal: A Journey from Grief to Healing.”
The author of several books, Sister was a longtime coordinator for the bereaved at the Family Life Office of the Archdiocese of Hartford.
People are urged to register soon because the sessions fill up quickly. For further information, they should visit the website ctcemeteries.org/bereavement-support or call Carolyn at (203) 404-0023.
In addition, Killian said that next spring there will be another Emmaus retreat for grieving parents. The Emmaus Ministry for Grieving Parents is solely focused on the pain a parent feels at the loss of their child. Unlike most recovery programs, the Emmaus Ministry believes there is no healing without God.
Since its inception, this ministry has helped participants initiate, regain, and/or reinvigorate their relationship with God, and so begin their healing process. The retreats are offered by Emmaus Parent Companions, working with Catholic Clergy, Deacons, Pastoral Associates, and Spiritual Directors.
The bereavement ministry of Catholic Cemeteries also offers daily reflections for those who are grieving. Each morning, a Healing Journey message is sent by email to support people with their grief. The messages are not only for the newly bereaved but also those who have been struggling a year or many years after the loss of a loved one. For more information or to sign up to receive the free service, visit ctcemeteries.org/bereavement-support.
