where heart speaks to heart

Bereavement affects us in different ways but there are some common threads and patterns. The pace at which a bereaved individual processes their loss also varies. Some find benefit in sharing some aspects of the experience with other bereaved people. There has been some talk about establishing a GOOD GRIEF group to offer a place for those who experience bereavement to meet and support one another through sharing some of their experiences, insights and struggles in a confidential seting. Please let us know if you might be interested in such a group. Email Fr Peter, Deacon John or Sister Catherine at bjhnwarrington@gmail.com

The month of November is a special time in the Catholic year. During this month we pay even greater attention to our prayers for the deceased. We celebrate both the feast of All Saints (November 1st) and the Commemoration of All Souls (November 2nd) and our parish Book of Remembrance is placed near to the altar to remind us of our deceased relatives, friends and parishioners. You can submit names and the dates of death for inclusion in this book by email or by using one of the forms distributed during October each year.

Annual Service for Bereaved

Every November we hold a service dedicated to those whose deaths occurred during the previous twelve months. Individual invitations are sent to the next of kin of those whose funerals were held in the parish. A roll call of names forms part of the celebration and relatives are invited to light candles for their loved ones.

Remembrance Sunday

We honour those who lost their lives in defence of justice and innocent lives and we have a tradition of including an act of remembrance at all the Masses on Remembrance Sunday.

The Beginning Experience – Support for those who have lost a spouse through death, separation or divorce. www.beginningsexperience.com

Care for the Family – Promotes healthy family life and helps those hurting because of family breakdown. www.careforthefamily.org.uk

Cruse Bereavement Care – www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk

Grief Net – An internet community of persons dealing with grief, death and major loss. www.griefnet.org

Rainbows – for children affected by loss. www.rainbowsgb.org

SANDS – support for those affected by still birth. Email at helpline@uk-sands.org

SOBS – for those bereaved by suicide. www.uk-sobs.org.uk

Father,

God of all consolation,

in your unending love and mercy for us

you turn the darkness of death

into the dawn of new life.

Show compassion to your people in their sorrow.

Be our refuge and our strength

to lift us from the darkness of this grief

to the peace and light of your presence.

Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,

by dying for us, conquered death

and by rising again, restored life.

May we then go forward eagerly to meet him,

and after our life on earth

be reunited with our brothers and sisters

where every tear will be wiped away.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Antiphons of Commendation

May the angels lead you to paradise;

may the martyrs come to welcome you

and take you to the new city,

the new and eternal Jerusalem.

May the choirs of angels welcome you.

Where Lazarus is poor no longer,

may you have eternal rest.

I am the resurrection and the life.

The one who believes in me will live,

even if they dies,

and every living person

who puts faith in me

will never suffer eternal death.