Bereavement Ministry

The Office of Parish Social Ministry (PSM) at St. Mary’s will offer two weekly support groups for the bereaved and those struggling with unresolved loss starting the week of January 23, 2023. Both sessions will run for ten consecutive weeks. The primary goals of the groups are to help the participants learn about the grief process, develop skills to manage their grief, and help them adjust to living in a world without the deceased. The groups are open to anyone who has lost a spouse, partner, parent, or sibling – including non-parishioners and other Christian faiths.  One group will be offered on *Wednesdays from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM, and a second group will meet on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:00 AM. (see update note at the bottom of the page regarding Wednesday group).

Tara Baranello and Bernadette Casalino will facilitate Wednesday’s session. Marie Granieri, Dr. Robert Windorf, and Jordan Rini will facilitate Saturday’s session. All facilitators received training from Dr. Lou Sabatini, a bereavement counselor with over thirty years of experience. In addition to their training, Tara has an MS in counseling and an Advanced Certificate in Mental Health, and Marie Granieri has a Master’s Degree in Sacred Theology. Dr. Robert Windorf is a long-time educator and has worked with the Passionists to facilitate retreats for young adults.

In an effort to meet the needs of all those suffering from grief due to loss, we are offering two different types of bereavement counseling. The Saturday session will be rich with Catholic faith-based tools, using Scripture and prayer to help in the healing process. Marie Granieri will draw from her in-depth knowledge of the suffering of Christ and the ability to find peace and grace through lamentation to help those in need. The Wednesday sessions will be more secular.

There is a one-time registration fee of $10.00 to cover the costs of the course. To register for a group, please make a check payable to St. Mary’s PSM and mail it to the Church of St. Mary, Office of Parish Social Ministry, 1300 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, NY 11030. Please click the button below to complete the Registration Form by January 12, 2023. For more information on the sessions, please call our Director of PSM, Kathleen Kosciusko, at 917-864-2802 (cell) or 516-365-2705 (office). You can also send an email to kkosciusko@stmary.ws.

*UPDATE: As of Thursday, January 12, 2023, the Wednesday session is now full. Please reach out to Director of Parish Social Ministry, Kathleen Kosciusko directly if you cannot attend the Saturday session. Please email kkosciusko@stmary.ws or call 516-365-2705.

Register Here