Parishes offer bereavement support after death

    ➤ ASCENSION OF OUR LORD, LaPlace, Bereavement Ministry offers planning of funeral liturgy and music if requested; display table for the deceased; food donations to the family reception; followup care notes sent to grieving family; and inclusion in the parish Christmas Angel Remembrance Mass. Contact coordinator, Lee Crayon, at (985) 652-2615.
    ➤ BLESSED SEELOS PARISH, Open Arms Caring Ministry is a support group for anyone coping with grief of any kind. Support is offered through faith, prayer and the group process. Group  meets after the 8 a.m. Mass on Mondays. All matters discussed are kept strictly confidential. For information, call the parish office at 943-5566 and leave a message for Sandy Sanchez. Father José Lavastida, pastor. 3037 Dauphine St., New Orleans.
   ➤ IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, Marrero, Servants of Bethany bereavement group prays with the family at the wake and will provide a meal for the family following the funeral. Beverly Burregi, 341-4441.
    ➤ MARY QUEEN OF PEACE, Mandeville, coordinator of Bereavement Ministry is Teresian Sister Marina Aranzabal, (985) 626-6977, [email protected]. Sister Marina facilitates an eight-week bereavement support group that meets in the fall and spring on Friday mornings from 10-11 a.m. The group uses “The New Day Journal” as a basis for discussion. A Memorial Mass on the commemoration of all the faithful departed will be held Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. for families who have lost relatives during this past year. A family member will light a candle in memory of a loved one and place it near the baptismal font. A NAIM chapter also meets every third Wednesday of the month for lunch and a short business meeting, led by Marsha Davis and Alice Childress. Individual grief counseling is available. 1501 West Causeway Approach, Mandeville.
    ➤ MOST HOLY TRINITY, Bereavement Committee handles funerals at the Covington church, 4465 Hwy. 190 East Service Road. (985) 892-0642, office, [email protected]. Bereavement Mass on All Souls Day at 7 p.m. All family members of deceased receive a white rose in memory of loved one. Food provided if needed. All services initiate with director of liturgy, Deacon Charles Swift, Ext. 216, [email protected]. Marilyn Schoen is the bereavement coordinator, (985) 624-8658, [email protected]; and Suzanne Gilbert is the church activity coordinator, 421-3358, [email protected].
     ➤ SACRED HEART OF JESUS, Norco, Angels of Mercy Bereavement Group consists of 22 parishioners who reach out to family members of the deceased. Along with offering prayers and comfort during their time of loss, they also offer food and drinks. Dianne Mayeux is the group’s coordinator and can be reached at 416-7073 or [email protected].
    ➤ ST. ANGELA MERICI, Bereavement Ministry gives support to bereaved families by helping plan the funeral and assisting at the funeral Mass. Mount Carmel Sister Paula Derise, 835-0324, coordinates. The Family Life Apostolate Bereavement group sends sympathy cards and provides food for family and friends during visitation. A NAIM chapter meets in the parish each month on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. in the conference room.
     ➤ ST. ANN CHURCH AND SHRINE, Bereavement Committee provides food and drink to the family of the deceased upon request. Contact coordinator Beverly Musso at the church office, 455-7071, Ext. 222.
    ➤ ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA, 4640 Canal St., New Orleans, Caring Ministry is a support group for anyone coping with grief of any kind. Support is offered through faith, prayer and the group process which meets after the 12:10 p.m. Mass on Mondays in the priory parlor. All matters discussed are kept strictly confidential. For information, call the parish office at 488-2651 and leave a message for Sandy Sanchez. Dominican Father John Restrepo, pastor.
     ➤ ST. AUGUSTINE, Bereavement Committee’s presider is Father Quentin Moody, pastor. Members include Audrey Amos, Beverly Curry, Linda Harris. For information, call the rectory at 525-5934.
    ➤ ST. BENILDE, Bereavement Committee coordinators are Myrtle Costanza, 834-6923, and Cloyis Jones, 834-7778.
     ➤ ST. CHRISTOPHER THE MARTYR Bereavement and Support Group directed by Dianne Vasquez, 835-0540. Offers assistance with readers during funeral Mass and provides food. Support group meets second Thursday of the month (next meeting Nov. 14) at 6:15 p.m. in the parish center, 3900 Derbigny St., Metairie, with speakers every other month and an annual celebration of parish deceased at a Memorial Mass and reception in July. The November speaker will be Kim Smith, bereavement coordinator of St. Joseph Hospice and Palliative Care, who will speak on “The Holidays.”
     ➤ ST. CLEMENT OF ROME Bereavement Ministry is a support group for those who have lost a loved one. Meetings are held in the Parish Center on the first Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. and the third Tuesday each month at 7 p.m., 4317 Richland Ave., Metairie. Annual Memorial Mass on All Saints Day (commemoration of all the faithful departed) on Nov. 1 for families who have lost relatives during the past year. Candles are lit in their memory. Contact Carol Ryan, 887-7821 or [email protected].
     ➤ ST. DAVID Bereavement Ministry offers assistance to members of deceased’s family with moral and spiritual assistance before and after the funeral. Assists the pastor and the family in planning the liturgy. Meets once a month. Prepares annual memorial liturgy inviting all families buried from the parish within the year. This year’s Mass will be celebrated Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Procession with candles after the homily when each deceased is called by name. Initiated by Josephite Father Oswald Pierre-Jules, pastor, and coordinated by Frankie Gardner, president, 943-8760 or [email protected].
     ➤ ST. FRANCIS XAVIER, Comfort Ministry sends a Mass card to families who have lost a loved one. Msgr. Andrew Taormina, pastor, presides over the group. Contact Carol Pritchard, 834-0340. 444 Metairie Road, Metairie.
    ➤ ST. GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL, Bereavement Ministry provides comfort and support to bereaved parish families. Lucille Conley, ministry leader, 286-3744, is the coordinator. A team meets with the family to offer sympathy and support, assists them in planning the funeral and in making arrangements for music, repast, etc. The team prepares the church for the funeral and prepares the family members for participation. Members  also make arrangements for the Memorial Masses (this year on Nov. 2 at the 4 p.m. Vigil Mass and Nov. 3 at the 10:30 a.m. Mass), which are offered for the deceased and the family. Families of loved ones lost during the past three years are invited to attend one of these parish Masses.
    ➤  ST. HUBERT, 176 Anthony Monica St., Garyville, offers the parish hall for use after the funeral of a parishioner at no charge by calling (985) 535-3312 to reserve. The Ladies Altar Society has three bereavement groups that rotate their time and service by receiving donated food and beverages on the morning of the funeral. Volunteers are welcome. The church supplies paper plates, napkins, dinnerware and cups, while the family provides food, ice, drinks and cleanup (check with parish office for more information). There is no cost to the family, but good will offerings are accepted for use of the hall.
     ➤ ST. JANE DE CHANTAL, Abita Springs, Bereavement Ministry, offers compassion and support to the families of the deceased. The group offers Masses for the family and their loved one, provides refreshments at St. Jane Hall during the visitation or after the Funeral Mass, or if requested, a covered-dish meal. Contact Betty Cognevich at (985) 892-0316 or email [email protected].
     ➤ ST. JOAN OF ARC, LaPlace, Bereavement Friends group expresses compassion of the church community to the bereaved family by helping with arrangements, providing food, rosaries, notifying friends, etc. The Bereavement Friends also assists with the annual All Souls Day Mass and reception Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. for parish families who have lost a loved one in the past year. Frankie Tarullo, (985) 652-2334, [email protected]. 529 West 5th St., LaPlace. The parish recently formed a “Bridge to Naim” group for the newly widowed. Meetings are held on the third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. A licensed counselor is present at all meetings. Call for more information at (985) 652-9100.
    ➤ ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS, Lacombe, Bereavement and Grief Support group, a newly formed ministry of the parish, offers support in sharing one’s loss. Contact Deacon Frank Drake at (985) 882-5372.
    ➤ ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER, Bereavement Ministry  offers parish caring to families of the deceased. Contact Chris J. Richard at 347-8438 or email him at [email protected].
    ➤ ST. LUKE THE EVANGELIST, Bereavement Ministry is coordinated by Becky Dicharry, (985) 641-7206. For information, call the parish office at (985) 641-6439.
    ➤ ST. PATRICK, Port Sulphur, Family Life Center, 28698 Highway 23 Port Sulphur.  Karen Bailey, 564-6792, leads this ministry.
    ➤ ST. RAYMOND AND ST. LEO THE GREAT, Bereavement Ministry has 15 members, composed of lectors, extraordinary ministers of holy Communion, ushers, and health ministry members. The services provided are visiting the family of the deceased, upon request, to help them cope with their loss and assist in making the process of planning easier;  providing support before the Funeral Mass begins (i.e., ensuring any special tributes are done prior to the beginning of Mass, assisting the lectors in procedure, instructing the gift bearers when to present the gifts, laying of the pall by family members, recitation of the rosary), and ensuring that the church is ready; and sending a card to the family after the funeral, and having a Mass said for the deceased.