Please Contact the parish office at 773-625-4805 before making arrangements with the funeral director.

What is Grief?
The act of grieving is a natural mourning, sorrowful emotional expression of pain at a severe personal loss. It is neither a passive nor passing emotion which may last for a short period of time after which happiness is ensued once again. Rather, grief is an individualistic process; and no one experiences grief and loss in the same manner. The grief process is as unique to the griever as their fingerprints. Therefore, one can never truthfully say to the bereaved person, “I know just how you feel.” In reality what we know is how we have felt in the same situation, not how someone else has. It is one of the missions of the church to assure spiritual and psychological well-being during the loss of a loved one. This webpage has been set up to guide members of our community to the proper resources in dealing with grief and death. Always feel free to call the parish office or schedule an appointment with one of our parish priests by dialing 773-625-4806.

Outside Counseling

After the Death of a Close Family Member (adult or child):
Adventist St. Thomas Hospice
Meets in: Burr Ridge (630)856-6990 – support group for children, teens and adults. They also have a camp in the summer

Midwest Palliative & Hospice Care Center-Braveheart Center
Meets in the South Suburbs; Flossmoor, Dolton (708)283-8150 – adult support group for adults with children; individual counseling services

Good Mourning/Rainbow Hospice
Meets in the North Suburbs; Park Ridge (847)685-9900 – support groups for children (ages 3-18) and their families

Herbie’s Friends/Fox Valley Hospice
Meets in Geneva (630)232-2233 – support groups in various locations in Kane and Kendall counties; short-term individual counseling (2-3 sessions)

Heart Connection at Little Company of Mary Hospital
POMC (Parents of Murdered Children) at Little Company of Mary Hospital
Meets in Evergreen Park (708)229-5484 – support groups for children and their families dealing with grief and also a group for parents of murdered children

Hospice of Northeastern Illinois—Center for Loss and Hope
Meets in Barrington and Crystal Lake (847)381-5599 – support groups for children and adults in community locations; individual counseling for a sliding scale fee

Journey Toward Healing/Loyola University Medical Center
Meets in Maywood (708)216-1646 – support groups for children and adults

Rainbows
Programs through local schools and religious institutions (800)266-3206

Willow House
Meets in: Arlington Heights, Libertyville, and the Lakeview neighborhood in Chicago (847)940-0779 – monthly support groups for children, teens and their adult caregivers

After The Death of a Child or Infant:
Heartlight
Meets on the North side of Chicago, on the 2nd & 4th Thursday of the month for the English group, and the 1st & 3rd Thursday of the month for Spanish group (773)975-8829 – support groups for siblings and parents

After the Death of a Parent or Caregiver:
Buddy’s Place
Meets in LaGrange (708)354-5280 – support groups for families; individual counseling paid by insurance or sliding scale for persons residing in the area

Midwest Palliative and HospiceCare Center
Meets in the North Suburbs, Glenview, and Lake County, IL (847)467-7423 – support groups for children and families; individual and family counseling for a sliding scale fee

After a Cancer Related Death:
Gilda’s Club
Noogieland program for children Chicago; (312)464-9900 – support groups and activities

Cancer Wellness Center
Northbrook ; (847)509-9595 – programs and activities

Wellness Place
Palatine; (847)221-2400; brief short-term counseling for children and families and referrals

Kids Connected/Cancer Support Center
Homewood; (708)798-9171 – support groups

cancercare.org
(800) 813-4673 telephone counseling and support, online support groups (located in New York, but online available to all)

After a Homicide/Murder:
Homicide Survivors Support Group/Cook County States Attorney Office Chicago (773)869-5321

POMC (Parents of Murdered Children) at Little Company of Mary Hospital
Meets in Evergreen Park (708)229-5484

After a Suicide:
Journey Towards Healing/Loyola University Medical Center
Maywood; (708)216-9056 – support groups

LOSS(Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide)/Catholic Charities
Local Chapters (312)655-7283 -support groups; individual and family counseling

Willow House
Wilmette; (847)940-0779 -support group for children, teens, and their families

Support for Grandparents:
Heartlight/Children’s Memorial Hospital
Chicago (773)975-8829

AGAST(Alliance of Grandparents, A Support in Tragedy)
(888)774-7437 www.agast.org

Support for Adults after a Death:
Compassionate Friends (Death of a young child or adult child)
(877)969-0010 National number; http://www.compassionatefriends.org

The Bereavement Program of Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Death of an adult)
Meets in Chicago (312)926-6972 – support groups for adults who had a loss through death; limited individual counseling available

Journey Toward Healing/Loyola University Medical Center
Meets in Maywood (708)216-1646 – groups for adults grieving the loss of a spouse, child, adult child, loss by suicide, & a motherless daughters group

Horizon Hospice
Meets in River North neighborhood of Chicago (312)733-8900 – support groups for adults grieving the loss of spouse/significant other, and loss of parent

Hyde Park Grief Support Group
(312)733-8900 – support group for adults grieving the loss of spouse/significant other

Coffee and Comfort – Support Group for the Loss of a Child at any age
Meets in Orland Park and Lansing; (708)460-1392/(708)532-4900

Providence Home Health and Hospice Care
Meets in South Holland (708)331-0400 – bereavement group for adults

Adventist St. Thomas Hospice
Meets in Burr Ridge (630) 856-6993 – adult loss of parent group

Cindy Thelan
Meets in Oak Brook (630)415-0674 – bereaved Adults support group