An Introduction to Bereavement Ministry

Book excerpt: Countless generous-hearted people feel called to bereavement ministry and accompany the bereaved both liturgically and pastorally. In An Introduction to Bereavement Ministry: Caring for Those Who Mourn, all those called to bereavement ministry will receive the theological and spiritual formation to minister to the dying and those who grieve. This resource presents a bereavement ministry that flows from the liturgical and pastoral vision of the Church’s official funeral rites and ensures that all ministers—ordained, lay professional staff, and volunteer ministers—are working out of a shared understanding of that vision. In pastoral and engaging prose, author Corinna Laughlin unfolds the Church’s theology of Christian death, the paschal mystery, the communion of saints, and the healing power of the rites. This book addresses ministry with the dying and with the bereaved at the time of death and presents the range of pastoral services the parish and its bereavement team can offer, both in the early days and throughout the year following a death. This foundational and readable resource provides compelling and enriching formation in bereavement ministry. An Introduction to Bereavement Ministry: Caring for Those Who Mourn may be used by any person seeking formation in bereavement ministry. It may also be used in tandem with Guide for Forming a Parish Bereavement Ministry, by Robert Valle, a resource for parishes that are developing or refreshing a parish bereavement ministry. Whether An Introduction to Bereavement Ministry is used with Guide for Forming a Parish Bereavement Ministry or independently, it will give the reader a compelling and enriching formation in bereavement ministry.