HEALING THE BROKEN-HEARTED
Consoling the Grief-Stricken

The goal of the ministry of consolation is the management of grief. Through it, the bereaved gain glimpses of the eternal Kingdom where death is no longer. Pastoral ministers must learn techniques to help themselves and others manage grief. Through the eyes of faith, we help others to channel grief into a new relationship with the deceased loved one and with the Church. This life-giving ministry has been raised to a new level since the promulgation of the revised Order of Christian Funerals. The topics chosen for this book seek to help both the bereaved and the ministers come to grips with grief and the need for its transformation. “After twenty years of participating in grief seminars, courses, workshops, and groups, I have tried to select the best techniques we can establish at this time to deal with the grieving process and with the practical details of funeral liturgies. It is my sincere hope that anyone who is wavering or a little apprehensive about grief ministry will be helped by these pages.” Terence P. Curley

About the Author: The pastor of St. Susanna Parish in Dedham, MA, Fr. Terence P. Curley is currently working with the Archdiocese of Boston’s Family Life Apostolate developing a comprehensive ministry of consolation for the bereaved. He has taught graduate courses at Emmanuel College in Boston and as an adjunct faculty member at Lesley College Graduate School for Counseling Psychology and Expressive Therapy, Cambridge. Alba House published his The Ministry of Consolation: A Parish Guide for Comforting the Bereaved (1993), Healing the Broken-Hearted: Consoling the Grief- Stricken (1995), A Way of the Cross for the Bereaved (1996), Six Steps for Managing Loss (1997), Healing: Questions and Answers for Those Who Mourn (2002) and a video entitled Journey to Healing: A Ministry for the Bereaved (1995).