Local program offers support for people dealing with grief

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Marlborough – Judah City Church in Marlborough has organized “Grieving with Hope,” a seminar and support group run by professionals in the field of grief to assist people trying to cope with the loss, fear, anger, and the disappointment that surrounds death.

“No one can fathom the mixed emotions that arise surrounding experiences of loss, grief, and death,” said Healthcare and Crisis Chaplain, Rev. Loretta Iannicelli, one of the leaders of Grieving with Hope.

Iannicelli is a member of a peer support team that offers crisis intervention to first responders across the region helping them navigate and normalize their post-incident reactions to traumatic events.

“Any death, but especially that of a loved one, can be shocking, emotional, and dark, and people sometimes carry the loss with them for years and years,” she said.

Rev. Marc Minerella, lead pastor of Judah City Church, knows all too well the emotions surrounding death as he deals with a multi-generational congregation, many of whom have recently faced a large number of deaths this past year.

“I too lost my father several years ago, and without the support of friends and family, the road would be numbing,” he noted.

Marie Parma, a nurse of 45 years serving in a Boston trauma center, lost her brother after a long battle with leukemia.

“I’ve seen death as a nurse. But it’s different when it’s somebody you’ve been with and love for more than 60 years,” she said. “I just felt like I needed someone to help me through it.”

The support and relationships are what’s really important about Grieving with Hope.

“The biggest reward is watching people make progress in their grief recovery and seeing the occasional smile through the hardship,” noted Minerella.

Those who attend the group will join together with others facing loss at no cost to them. The program coincides with a video series along with a facilitated discussion that helps guide people through the healing process.

“While Grieving with Hope is a faith based program, participants don’t have to be member of any church or denomination to attend,” Minerella said.

    Grieving with Hope meets throughout the year at Emanuel Christian Church, 814 Boston Post Road, Marlborough, in Room 207.

For more information or to register, call the Judah City Church office at 774-249-6462 or register online at [email protected].

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