"Grief is an experience common to all humanity. It transcends culture and time. It is 'catholic' - that is, 'universal.' Grief is also Catholic. It is a well-charted experience in the Scriptures, in the lives of the saints, as well as in our common life in the Body of Christ ... Our task is to live this universal, or catholic, pattern of grief as Catholics."

In this handbook for those who mourn, Glenn M. Spencer, Jr., looks at the grieving process within the context of the Church and the sacraments. By showing the reader how and why we must grieve all our losses, including but not limited to the death of a loved one, Spencer not only explains how to grow from the grief experience, but how to be a better friend to those who are grieving.

Some of the topics include:

• The universality of grief
• The necessary steps of grieving and mourning
• The grief process experienced by the Church herself
• Anger and denial as elements of grief
• How to cope with special circumstances like holiday and anniversary grief
• How to help children mourn
• The role of forgiveness in healing
• How to find others who have experienced your type of loss
• How to establish a program in your parish to help with grief
• How the sacraments and the Church help in healing

About the Author

Glenn M. Spencer, Jr., has served as a chaplain and director of pastoral care in a psychiatric hospital where he has had extensive experience in helping people work through the grief process.