Description
Seasons of Hope offers unique grief support for Catholics that focuses on the spiritual side of grieving the death of a loved one and invites individuals to meet Christ through scripture, prayer, reflection, and simple activities that offer comfort and help foster healing and spiritual growth.
The program contains four journals that can be used by individuals for spiritual reflection or prayer or by parish small faith-sharing groups for those who are mourning the death of a loved one and the Seasons of Hope Leader’s Guide. You can start the series with any of the four journals.
The journals, originally published in 2007, have been revised with a new introduction and updated resource listings. The journals also include Bible references, reflections, faith-sharing questions, prayers, and space for writing.
Each journal covers a unique, standalone “season” of six sessions that have their own theme.
Journal Four themes include:
- last encounter
- the Garden of Gethsemane
- Crown of Thorns
- gift of caring
- Golgotha
- be my witnesses
Product Details
“I offer my whole-hearted support and blessing.”
“Communicating loss is essential. Opportunities to communicate with others are essential. Opportunities to communicate with God are necessary. Seasons of Hope offers those opportunities and, as a bishop, I offer my whole-hearted support and blessing.”
From the foreword by Bishop John P. Dolan
Diocese of Phoenix“A godsend.”
“Seasons of Hope is a godsend. It is solidly Catholic, imbued by hope and comfort while also being open to the real experiences of each participant. It provides an opportunity for those who are grieving to be together, share what is in their hearts, listen to God and to each other, and be heard and comforted. The program is simple, easy to lead, and scripture based. It gets people through hard times, giving them courage to surrender to God and invite him into their pain, and that this made all the difference.”
Anna Loch
Former Outreach Manager
Gardens of Gethsemani Cemetery
Archdiocese of Vancouver“New hope.”
“Our bereavement ministry has been using this program for the last ten years and it always works for us. Donna MacLeod’s step-by-step Leader's Guide always puts me at ease when leading grief-support meetings. More importantly, this program gives each participant new hope in the Catholic Church and how it can help a hurting person in their grief journey.”
Karen Jones
Bereavement Ministry
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
Placerville, California“Insightful, practical, and comprehensive guidance.”
“As a seasoned facilitator of MacLeod’s marvelous program, time and time again I have witnessed the Holy Spirit at work as participants journey together in and through their grief. They consistently express appreciation for the uniquely faith-based content that may have attracted them to Seasons of Hope in the first place, or that was lacking in other grief support programs some had participated in, or that spoke to them as they sought God’s presence and a greater understanding of their grief. For those considering facilitating this program, be assured that the Leader's Guide is filled with Donna’s insightful, practical, and comprehensive guidance that’s sure to bless.”
Reen Markland
Parish Nurse
St. Bridget of Ireland Catholic Church
Berryville, Virginia“An explicitly Catholic foundation.”
“What most drew me to Seasons of Hope was its explicitly Catholic foundation. In contrast to secular support groups for the grieving, Seasons of Hope puts Jesus at the center and invites participants to entrust their loss and loneliness to him within the abundant consoling wisdom of our Catholic tradition. Having just lost my mother, I was a natural candidate for Seasons of Hope as a facilitator. Its well-structured format enhanced our efforts and when the sessions came to a close, I’d grown quite attached to my fellow group members. It was hard for all of us to see our time together end.”
Bishop Liam Cary
Diocese of Baker–Redmond“It has brought hope, healing, peace, and love to so many.”
“Many people in our parish community have become involved with Seasons of Hope. It has brought hope, healing, peace, and love to so many. One of the great aspects of this program is that by offering four 'seasons' our parish can provide multiple opportunities each year for people to participate when they are ready for that first step or return when they are ready for more. Most importantly, Seasons of Hope engages the faith life of those who use it and draws them into a deeper relationship with the living God. What a blessing it has been for our parish!”
Rev. Msgr. Stephen J. Avila
Pastor
St. Joseph, Guardian of the Holy Family Parish
Falmouth, Massachusetts
Additional Resources
Special Grief Resources for Facilitators
The grief websites listed present facts about special needs and have links to regional specialty groups and events.
Online Facilitator/Host Activity Checklist
Online Facilitator/Host activity checklist for facilitating a Seasons of Hope session on a communication platform.
Seasons of Hope Brochure for Leaders
Seasons of Hope brochure template in a Word document format.
Seasons of Hope Brochure for Leaders
Seasons of Hope brochure template in a PDF document format.
Seasons of Hope Survey
Seasons of Hope survey in a Word document format.
Seasons of Hope Survey
Seasons of Hope survey in a PDF document format.
Season of Hope Logo
Season of Hope logo (.PNG)
Season of Hope Logo
Season of Hope logo (.JPG)