“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”

Experiencing the loss of a loved one is a severe emotional trauma that is difficult to face and will likely take a long time to process. In fact, it may be a life event that will change us permanently. But the effects of that change don’t have to be debilitating. We can find the courage and strength to move forward. The Lord promises that He will never abandon us (see John 14:8), and we can rest securely in the knowledge that He will bring us comfort and solace if we turn to Him. He walks with us, especially during life’s most tragic moments. He is the only One who can bring light to the darkness of these times in our lives.

The way we cope with loss is a deeply personal thing. There is no “right way” to do it, and it will vary from person to person. The one thing, however, that perhaps could be said about how we can all deal with loss is to acknowledge it and to embrace what we are feeling -- and name it -- rather than attempting to push it aside.

You and your family have our deepest condolences on your loss, and we want to help you navigate the road ahead of you in this difficult time and accompany you. To that end, we have put together some resources that hopefully will enable you to find healing and consolation as well as give you confidence that you will get through this tragedy as you are supported by family members, friends, and your brothers and sisters in this faith community. Please see the resources and articles listed below.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website has several resources. Click on the link to be taken to each one:

For prayers to be said with the dying and for the dead, and for relevant Scripture passages, click here.

For a Prayer of Blessing for parents who have lost a child because of a miscarriage or stillbirth, click here.

For an overview of Catholic funeral rites, click here.

For a selection of Bible readings for the funeral liturgy, click here.

For online support groups for families who have lost a child, see the Star Legacy Foundation webpage here.

For "10 Ideas for Funerals and Memorials When You Can't Be Together" click here.

For the article “How to Handle Grief” in U.S. Catholic magazine click here.

For resources on grieving from Creighton University, a Jesuit school, click here.