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COMMUNITY

April 24 , 2018 | The Valley Catholic

By Kathy Fanger

“ Death leaves a heartache no one can heal , love leaves a memory no one can steal .”

From an Irish headstone

When someone you love has died , you begin a journey that is often frightening , painful and sometimes lonely . No words , written or spoken , can take away the pain you feel . Emotions may change hour-by-hour , day-by-day and often on special occasions . Sometimes , you even find yourself questioning your faith . To begin to heal , it is helpful to learn about and understand the grieving process and how it will affect you today , tomorrow and forever .

Every person grieves differently and there is no time line for grief . Whether you are in your first year or 10th year since your loved one ’ s death , you will never “ get over ” your grief , but instead , learn to live with it . If you allow yourself the time and compassion to mourn , and truly work through your grief , you will heal . You will go on to find continued meaning in living and loving , being grateful to God for the one you loved who changed your life forever .

Members of the community should console the mourners with words of faith and support and with acts of kindness … ( OCF , # 10 )

Many parishes in our diocese offer Grief or Consolation Groups led by trained parish staff and volunteers . They offer compassionate listening to the grievers , assuring them , “ You are not alone . We are here to accompany you in your journey toward healing and wholeness .” Groups are safe , supportive , and confidential places to share feelings and stories . It is often in speaking about a loved one and the personal realities of grief that the healing process begins . Strength and hope are found through prayer , scripture , practical coping strategies and the bonds that form among the group members . All are reminded that God loves them and journeys with them , promising that they will see their loved ones again in the kingdom of heaven .

Suicide Bereavement Support Group – 6 sessions 3 times / year Holy Spirit ( 408 ) 997-5110 Leah Harris

Catholic Cemeteries ’ mission embraces the works of mercy : to comfort those who mourn . We offer an extensive 12-hour training series for parish staff and volunteers 2-3 times each year on 3 consecutive Saturdays or 6 evenings . For more information on grief support groups and the training series , contact Kathy Fanger at ( 650 ) 428-3730 x508 or cemeteryinfo @ dsj . org .

2018 Catholic Communication Campaign

Support the Collection May 12 and 13 , 2018 , in your local parish

The Catholic Communication Campaign ( CCC ) is a way that each of us can follow the call to enter into the world of new media and digital networks . Pope Francis emphasized the importance of this endeavor during his first audience with members of the media on March 16 , 2013 , saying , " Be assured that the Church , for her part , highly esteems your important work ." The Pope has given us an example of witnessing through new media , by his tweets and his daily homilies .

During the weekend of May 12-13 , parishes in the Diocese of San Jose will take up this Collection , which supports projects throughout the world that evangelize through the use of media .

Half of the proceeds from this Collection stay here in the Diocese of San Jose to support our local communication efforts , such as The Valley Catholic diocesan newspaper and website , diocesan website and social media . The success of your generous contribution last year helped to continue services and support to :

• Partner with the Office for Evangelization ’ s “ The Light is On for You ” Lenten initiative ;

• Graphic design services for all major Diocesan campaigns through the Diocese ’ s Office of Communications ;

• Design and development of select parish websites and ongoing training for parish webmasters .

On a national level , through Internet , social networks , television , radio , and print , the Catholic Communication Campaign helps the Church spread the Gospel message through the media locally and nationally .

CCC funds facilitated live streaming and coverage by more than 7,000 credentialed media of Pope Francis ' 2015 Apostolic Visit to the United States . The CCC also made possible an unprecedented social media effort that produced 2,462 pieces of social content around the Papal visit , including 62 videos . This content resulted in 30 million impressions ( the majority driven by Facebook ) and 1.65 million video views .

Please give generously to support this important work on May 12 and 13 .

Support CCC today : www . dsj . org / ccc