Oxford Church to Offer Program on Grief

From St. Thomas the Apostle Church: “Good Grief”, a program dealing with loss and grieving, will be presented at St. Thomas the Apostle Church Hall, 733 Oxford Rd on Wednesday, April 19 from 6:30-9:00pm.

How can grief be good? “Grief becomes good when we allow ourselves to mend”, says Dennis Galemba, a member of the St. Thomas the Apostle Bereavement Ministry Team. “Society often sends signals that we must ‘get over it’. Therefore, many of us grieve in private, believing that we need to be strong and handle the grief ourselves, said Galemba. Carol Flament, who is another member of the team, said that most often however, the bravest thing people can do is "reach out for help and work through the grief with others.”

Chaplain Geri Cappabianca MA, LPC, BCC of St. Mary’s Hospital, of Waterbury, and writer of the book “Memoirs of a Hospital Chaplain, I Stand Near the Door”, will be the main speaker. Chaplain Geri “…focuses on finding peace and joy in the midst of life’s major transitions.” She will talk about the symptoms and processes of grief and offer suggestions for recovery. She will also address questions asked by friends seeking to help someone who has been bereaved.

The presentation is open to the public and is free of charge. In addition to addressing those who have experienced a loss, the session would be appropriate those who might have questions on the loss of a loved one, dealing with persons who are terminally ill, or those who just might want to be informed on how to handle and minister to people who are experiencing the pain of losing a loved one.

Please call the St. Thomas Parish office at (203) 888-2382 if you are interested in attending.

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