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“Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4).

 The Gospel calls us to offer compassion to the grieving, and the OLV community has several ways to offer support:

•  Funeral Planning---Whenever a death occurs in the parish, our priests, Sister Madeline Contorno and Theresa Thienpont will assist families in planning for the visitation, wake service, funeral Mass, and burial.
• Bereavement Meal---If a family would like to utilize parish facilities to share a meal after a funeral at OLV, a bereavement committee of volunteers will assist the family with setting up and serving the meal.
• Bulletin Sympathy Note---Any parishioner who experiences the death of a close family member is invited to contact Sister Madeline, who will write a note of sympathy in the weekly bulletin and offer bereavement resources to the family.
• Grief Support Group---Sister Madeline is a certified grief counselor with 20 years of experience working with grief support groups. For the last five years she has facilitated a bi-monthly OLV grief support group on Monday evenings from 6-8 PM. She forms new groups every August and January. About 80 people have taken part in these groups so far, and many have found the groups helpful and healing.  If you want to take part, please contact Sister Madeline, 991-5488, ext. 247. For more information click here

 The Psalmist tells us “God is close to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:19). When tragedy and loss touch our lives, God draws near to us in the love of those around us.