Family Life

FOR HEALING …

DIVORCE/SEPARATION:

DivorceLINK:  A peer ministry specifically for and to those separated/divorced – open to all persons of any faith tradition.  It is during this difficult time we offer persons time to deal with grief, recover from turmoil and loss; rebuild their life again through the Levels program, open forum RAP support groups, various workshops, family activities and spiritual and social events.  “No one should face the ordeals of separation or divorce alone.”  

 Click here for DivorceLINK brochure

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR 2008 

TEEN/PARENT WORKSHOP:  Has your family felt the pain of separation/divorce?  Are you a high school teen or parent whose relationship is strained due to this situation?  The Diocesan Office of Family Life Ministries, DivorceLINK and St. Gregory’s Parish invite you to a TEEN/PARENT WORKSHOP.  We will explore how the Church and our faith can be there for us in these difficult experiences.  Our presenters will offer communication and dialogue skills for families, including ways to bring healing within relationships.

Keynote Speaker will be Rev. Joseph C. Gatto.  For further information or to register by April 1st please call Eileen Warner at 688-5678 x313.

CROSSROADS:  Crossroads is a Catholic Community of single adults, forty years and older, seeking to share diversified spiritual and social needs and blessings.  For anyone interested in knowing more about this organization – for a taste of upcoming events – for cancellations due to weather, for membership information, etc. please call their voice mail hotline at 635-8010.

BRIDGES:  St. Bernadette Church’s group for divorced, separated & widowed individuals, that meet once a month.  The group meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Rectory Conference Room of St. Bernadette Church, 5930 South Abbott Road in Orchard Park .  We have many activities planned for the next few months and if you would like an e-mail update, please contact carboni@roadrunner.com.  Bridges is open to anyone, not just parishioners of St. Bernadette’s Church.  For more information, please call Dawn 472-2491 or your Office of Family Life Ministries at 847-2210.  Bridges is financially self-supported, and thus monetary donations are always appreciated.

EVERY WOMAN OPPORTUNITY :  The mission of Everywoman Opportunity Center, Inc. is to help women achieve personal and economic self-sufficiency.  “Prepare to be a part of the workforce of tomorrow – come to Everywoman today.”  For more information, call 847-1120 or www.everywoman.org. 

BEREAVEMENT:

SURVIVE:  A program of bereavement care that can help widowed persons accept the reality of loss; deal with the pain of grief; adjust to a world without one’s spouse; move from grieving to rebuilding their life; heal.  Living alone was not your choice.  But you do have the choice how you will continue to live.  Program topics include: strategies for coping; loneliness; anger; guilt and stress.  The program has TWO opportunities e.g. a structured program and a sharing support program.   The sharing support program meetings are held at St. Aloysius, 157 Cleveland Drive , Cheektowaga .

SURVIVE is a peer ministry providing support to those men and women who are grieving the death of a spouse.  The leaders of our groups are trained facilitators who have also experienced the death of a spouse.  Our goals:

SURVIVE MEETINGS – 2008

SURVIVE addresses the immediate stages of grief that are experienced by both men and women after the death of a spouse.  Small groups will be formed and meet in a home for a period of 12 months.  The se groups are arranged by a facilitator as needs surface.

Click here for the SURVIVE brochure.

RESOURCES:  Grieving the death of a loved one can be a long and painful journey.  The re is no time table for the mourning that one feels.  Grief work is the process that involves learning to live with the emptiness, creating meaning out of the loss and rejoining life to live more openly and fully.  Your Office of Family Life Ministries provides you with a free Bereavement Packet full of resources, information on support programs and reflections on a variety of topics to as sis t you in this personal journey.  Please feel free to contact us at 847-2210 or e-mail familylife@buffalodiocese.org. 

In addition this Office works in collaboration with the Catholic Cemeteries Diocese of Buffalo providing resources and speakers for the Bereavement Lecture Series Workshops.

Schedule and Topics:  

Memorial Services are held twice yearly.  To make a reservation or for more information call 873-6500.  Click on to Diocese of Buffalo, then on to Diocesan Cemeteries for complete information on many areas of information.

Bereavement Hotline:  332-0202

RELATED PROGRAMS FOR HEALING:

YOUNG ADULT BEGINNING EXPERIENCE:  is a weekend for persons age 16 and up who have experienced parental death, separation or divorce.  For more information, contact Steve & Liz Wascak at 585 237-5155 or Bob & Cathy Cobbett at 585 872-6276.  For a brochure, contact your Office of Family Life Ministries at 847-2210 or e-mail familylife@buffalodiocese.org.

BEGINNING EXPERIENCE:  is a weekend adapted to the formerly married and meant for persons who have worked through the first stages of grief after death or separation/divorce of one’s spouse.  Call the Beginning Experience information line at 585 987-1750.  For a brochure, contact your Office of Family Life Ministries at 847-2210 or e-mail familylife@buffalodiocese.org.

ANNULMENT COMPANIONS provide the extra support people need while going through a process that can be filled with questions, doubts, fears, anger, emotional uncertainty and heartache.  Referrals provided.  Contact Barbara Wyse at 633-7786 or e-mail BJWTR@aol.com.

ANNULMENT WRITING WORKSHOP:  Help with annulment papers?    Facilitators, knowledgeable in the Marriage Tribunal Process leading to a Church Annulment, are available to as sis t individuals to prepare the “paper work” necessary to begin the annulment procedures.  So often just putting together the information needed can be overwhelming.  This workshop will help ease the stress of putting together the necessary information.  For more information or to register call Barb Wyse at 633-7786 or e-mail BJWTR@aol.com.

COME & SEE:  an evening of prayer and information on the first Thursday of the month at St. Benedict’s Church, 1317 Eggert Road, Amherst from October to April, for people who have questions, concerns or just want to know more about God or the Catholic Church.  The topics and dates are: 

For information call 565-2525 or your Office of Family Life Ministries for a flyer of topics and dates.

KIDS/TEEN GRIEF GROUP:  Open to boys and girls age 5 and above who have lost a family member or a friend.  Children are broken up into age appropriate groups.  Program is free.  Donations greatly appreciated.  Fridays Evenings 6:30 – 8:30 pm January 18, February 15, March 21, April 18 May 16 and June 20, 2008 .  For more information, please call Day Cummings at 716-627-4934 or e-mail momsspirit@aol.com or www.circleofdaughters.com.