Spiritual Help For Grieving Parents

Editor's Note: The following originally appeared in the Dec. 1, 2019 issue of The West Texas Catholic:

Sarah was only eight years old, a very sweet, little girl who loved to cook, do science experiments and swim. One beautiful sunny summer day, she kissed her Mom goodbye and went off to camp. Sadly, she never returned. Despite flawless weather, four lifeguards and strict pool rules, Sarah drowned.
 
Anthony served in Iraq for four long years.  One night shortly after he got home, he and some friends went out to celebrate a Super Bowl win of his favorite team. On his way home, he took a wrong turn and ended up in the deep, cold waters of a river two miles from home. It took three days to find him.
 
Christa was a successful 49-year-old businesswoman who had the world by the tail.  She recently met the love of her life and was up for yet another promotion at work.  But, after treatment for severe pain caused by an accident, she became addicted to opioids. One night, after using heroin laced with fentanyl, she went to bed and never woke up.
 
These children, and the thousands of others who die every day in the United States, leave behind devastated parents, shattered and broken by the “worst nightmare” of all: the death of a cherished child. What do you do as a parent? How do you survive this unimaginable situation? Where do you find any peace and comfort at all? What help can your Catholic Faith possibly give?
 
The Emmaus Ministry for Grieving Parents, working with Catholic dioceses and parishes nationwide, does indeed offer spiritual help to parents experiencing the heart-wrenching loss of a child. Through one-day and weekend spiritual retreats, the Emmaus Ministry brings peace and comfort to grieving parents by focusing on the rich teachings of the Catholic Church… life has changed, not ended; your child is an eternal being who will never die; you will be together again someday.
 
The hole in the heart of a grieving parent is always there, and spiritual nourishment is always needed, no matter what. For a parent, a child is a child forever and the bond is eternal. For this reason, the Emmaus Ministry serves the spiritual needs of parents whose children of any age, who have died by any cause, no matter how long ago.
 
Parents, who initially come together as strangers, often leave Emmaus Ministry retreats as close friends. Faith that begins in the morning as a tiny pinprick of light can slowly grow over the course of the day or weekend into hope. Faith that begins strong can become even stronger. Children thought to be lost forever make their presence known. 
 
Currently, the Emmaus Ministry for Grieving Parents is working with nine dioceses in the United States, including the Diocese of Amarillo, which will be offering its first retreat Friday, Jan. 17 to Sunday, Jan. 19 at the Bishop DeFalco Retreat Center, 2100 North Spring, Amarillo. For more information on the ministry, see www.emfgp.org or call Diane Monaghan at 617-542-8057. For more information on the Amarillo retreat, call Linda Astuto at 806-383-1811.
 
Diane Monaghan and her husband Charley, are founders of the Emmaus Ministry for Grieving Parents.