The Lazarus Ministry

1. The Lazarus Ministry St. Bartholomew Church East Brunswick

2. Lazarus Ministry • Martha and Mary sought solace from Jesus over the death of Lazarus. • Ministry seeks to bring together caring members of St Bart’s community to aid those dealing with recent death of family member.

3. Goals Bring comfort to the bereaved • Death of a loved one is one of the most traumatic things we will have to deal with. • Having members of your faith community there at this time can strengthen your own faith and help you deal with this loss. • No one at St Bart’s should grieve alone. • Support comes not only from individual’s family, but also from the St Bart’s family. • It may even be a source of a deepening faith and relationship with God.

4. Goals Explain the Rites of Christian Burial • Our Christian faith is here to help support us when dealing with the death of a loved one. Provide follow-up support • Feeling of loss is felt even stronger after burial.

5. Lazarus Ministry • Immediate support. • Personal phone call and possible home visit. • Help with funeral mass. • Follow up 40 days after death. • Referral to Bereavement Ministry.

6. Training Formal training offered by the Diocese of Metuchen to: • Provide an explanation of the Rites of Christian Burial. • Prepare team for proper sensitivities thru situational workshops. • Help organize the ministry.

7. Organization • Initial meeting called by Msgr. Alliegro in November 2002. • 22 members to date. • Four teams formed with Fr. Joe Kerrigan’s guidance.

8. Organization Overall Coordinator- Kevin DeMarco • First Response Team - Phyllis Shannon • Funeral Day Team - Parish Staff • Follow-Up Care Team - Lenny Alabanza • Lazarus Ministry Growth & Development - Kevin DeMarco

9. First Response • Within 24 hours of the parish office being notified of the death of a loved one, a trained member of the First Response team will call. Initial phone call: • Offer our condolences and introduce the Lazarus Ministry. • Ask about basic needs, such as food and transportation. • Offer a home visit.

10. First Response Home visit: • A pair of trained parishioners will visit the home and offer condolences on the behalf of St. Bart’s. • Offer a prayer for the deceased and get to know more about them. • Offer help with funeral planning using published materials.

11. First Response Home visit • Explain the function of the Funeral Day Team • St Bart’s parishioners will volunteer to be • Lector • Eucharist Ministers • Ushers • Explain the function of the Follow-Up Care Team • Follow up phone call 30 days after the death • Offer a Novena at 40 days • Personal invitation to attend Mass on All Souls Day

12. Funeral Day Team • St Bart’s parishioners who have volunteered to be: • Lector • Eucharist Ministers • Ushers • If there is sufficient interest, we may expand to participation in the Vigil (wake) and/or Final Committal Rite at the graveside

13. Follow-Up Care Team • Initiates follow-up phone call 30 days after the death. • Offers and prays Novena 40 days after the death. • Option of novena at bereaved’s home or at St. Barts • Sends a personal invitation for bereaved to attend Mass on All Souls Day. • Maintains death database.

14. Lazarus Ministry Growth & Development • Organize meetings such as this to tell parishioners about the ministry and ask for new volunteers. • Schedule quarterly meetings to discuss experiences of the volunteers in their ministry. • Arrange yearly meeting with national speakers on the Lazarus Ministry.

15. Lazarus Ministry • Hopefully you have a better understanding of this important ministry. • Perhaps some of you are interested in helping others by volunteering for this ministry! • Wide variety of opportunities to help • First Response Team • Funeral Day Team • Follow-up Care Team