A Newsletter for Incarnate Word's Grief Support Ministry
Welcome to the Incarnate Word Grief Support Ministry Newsletter! Through this newsletter, our hope is to connect our parishioners and friends of the parish with education, resources, news of events, and prayer as you continue on your grief journey. Please consider this an open group/newsletter and pass along this email and information to anyone you believe would benefit from the support of the grief support news & resources.
Let us Pray...
Education - Misunderstandings of Grief
The greatest misunderstanding with grief comes when we put assumptions or expectations around how grief "should be" experienced. What we know about grief from our shared experiences is that everyone grieves differently - with their own timing, emotions, challenges, symptoms, etc. While we certainly have shared experiences in our grief journeys, we cannot expect that one person's grief will be identical to another. There is both comfort and discomfort in the reality that no grief process is identical. Comfort, because what you are experiencing is "normal" for you and your journey; Discomfort, because the desire to know and predict the journey is something we seek in times of uncertainty. Here are a few of the common ways we tend to misunderstand the process of grief:
- Misunderstanding - Grief has a set amount of stages and time for each stage. The reality is that the general emotions and behaviors that come with our traditional view of "stages" can be present or not, prolonged or absent. Each process is its own.
- Misunderstanding - Once we "get through" one emotion/behavior, we won't experience it again. Grief is not a checklist to complete, but a process to live. A person may go through cycles and seasons of repeated emotions/behaviors as part of the grieving process.
- Misunderstanding - Grief is linear and happens in a step-by-step manner. While the image below seems chaotic, the fact is that grief takes it own path and pattern for each person.
Seasons of Hope - Fall Session
Seasons of Hope is a 6-week small group session that the Grief Support Ministry facilities twice a year. Our next session will be this Fall. All who have lost a loved one are invited to attend this unique program that focuses on the spiritual side of grieving through scripture, prayer, reflection, and simple activities.
For more information contact Deacon Ron Reuther at deaconronreuther@yahoo.com or 636-675-1364 or Gini Collins at gcollins@incarnate-word.org.
Grieve and Pray as a Community
As part of a community, we journey with each other through the process of grief, from the early moments following a death through the years that pass. As part of the Grief Support Ministry, we want you to know members of our community who have recently died (Link to Parish Funerals) and ask for your prayers for their loved ones (Link to Prayer Intentions Portal) who are grieving. Consider reaching out to those who have recently experienced the death of a loved one with a card, a kind word, or a moment of prayer.
Resources
Past Articles:
- "The Grieving Process" - See July 2025 Grief Support Ministry Flocknote Article
- "Common Myths About Grief" - See August 2025 Grief Support Ministry Flocknote Article
- "You and Your Emotions" - See September 2025 Grief Support Ministry Flocknote Article
- "Getting to Sleep" - See October 2025 Grief Support Ministry Flocknote Article
Are you looking for an up-to-date list of bereavement programs across the St. Louis area? "FindHelp" offers a comprehensive list of resources to support grieving families, catering to all ages and stages of grief. Explore the options here: https://www.findhelp.org/care/bereavement--saint-louis-mo?postal=63141