Bethany Bereavement 

Support Group

Our Mission

The Bethany Bereavement Support Group is a voluntary Parish-based ministry which aims to help the bereaved and grieving.

About Bethany

The name Bethany recalls the visit of Jesus to Mary and Martha on the death of their brother Lazarus.

In to-day’s world, people tend to be unaware of the grief associated with bereavement. It is not widely understood that the grieving process may be long and severe. Understanding the stages of grief can be helpful and reassuring.

Although grieving is a natural process which can be helped by the sympathy and understanding of friends, sometimes one may need support to work through it in a positive way. Friends don’t always know how to help; they may feel embarrassed by one’s grief; they may even avoid meeting one in a mistaken belief that a meeting may increase distress.

It is quite normal to feel anger, guilt, fear and depression as well as the awful pain of loss. These feelings need to be expressed rather than repressed, to be talked out, cried over and put in some sort of perspective.

It helps the healing process to talk with a trained listener and confront the very strong feelings associated with grief.

Many Bethany members have themselves been bereaved. They are trained to listen with understanding. They accept those suffering loss as they are, and support them through the grieving process

Groups currently exist in parishes in the greater Dublin area and surrounding counties. They may be contacted at the given telephone number. Click on the locations hyperlink below to view the contact list

Bethany Prayer

Lord, our God

We thank you that you are ever present

in times of trouble

Be our companion and guide as we

minister to the bereaved.

Help us to be sensitive to the spoken

and unspoken grief in peoples lives.

May we be caring, compassionate

and completely present as we listen

to those who are grieving.

Comfort them as they mourn.

Give them your peace as they experience

the pain of their loss.

We ask this through Christ our Lord,

Amen.

Send mail to bethanysupport@eircom.net with questions or comments about this web site.

Last modified: December 12, 2004