Funeral and Grief Resources


"The Lord has sent me to bind up the brokenheartedto comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieveto bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair" - Isaiah 61:1-3

 

Dormition of St. Nicholas

 

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.

Suggested Reading:

 

Suggested Listening:

Homily for the comfort of those who have lost a loved one by Bishop Nicholas Samra of the Melkite Greek-Catholic Church

 

 

Outside Resources:

 

After the Death of a Close Family Member (adult or child):
 
The Companionship/University of ChicagoComer Children’s Hospital
Meets on the South Side of Chicago near University of Chicago Hospitals (773)834-1776 - support groups for children, teens, and their adult caregivers
 
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
 
Support in Indiana:
Brooke’s Place for Grieving Young People
Meets in Indianapolis, IN (317)705-9650 - support groups for young people age 3-20 (college age included) and their adult caregivers
 
After The Death of a Child or Infant:
 
Heartlight (Also offers a Spanish-speaking group, Luz del Corazon, on the North West side of Chicago,)
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
 
 
Individual and Family Counseling:

The Barr Harris Children’s Grief Center
Individual counseling and child guidance services to families on a sliding scale of payment in multiple locations.
Main Number: (312)922-7474  
Downtown Chicago: (312)922-7474 Ext. 313 Highland Park Hospital: (312)922-7474 Ext. 416
Little Company of Mary Hospital: (312)922-7474 Ext. 415 Swedish Covenant Hospital: (312)922-7474 Ext. 428
La Rabida Children’s Hospital: (312)922-7474 Ext. 421 Riverdale Resource Center: (312)922-7474 Ext. 430
.  
Institute for Therapy through the Arts
Chicago, Evanston, Buffalo Grove
(847)425-9708
Kirsten Randall
Southside of Chicago
(773)643-1940
.  
Karen Freehill
Southside of Chicago/South Suburbs
(708)802-0689
Illinois Masonic Behavioral Health Services
Northside of Chicago
(773)296-3220
New Cell New Cell
Center for Grief Recovery
Northside of Chicago 
(773)274-4600
Center for Psychological Services
Oak Lawn- takes many insurance plans 
(708)424-0001
New Cell New Cell
Mary Pappas, LCPC
Chicago
(312)787-5840
Courtney Bell, LCSW
Northside of Chicago and Bloomingdale
(630)924-0199
New Cell New Cell
Chicago Center for Family Health
Downtown Chicago 
(312)372-4731
Cindy Thelan
Oakbrook
(630)415-0674
 
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)
Call for a group in your area.
(877)969-0010 National number           (773)721-8817 Southside Chicago area (Univ. of Chicago Hospital) http://www.compassionatefriends.org  (708)748-6940 Little Company of Mary Hospital ( Evergreen Park, IL)  
                                                         (708)748-6840 Rich Township Center (Richton, IL )
                                                         (815)544-9864 Northwestern IL Chapter (Belvidere, IL)
                                                         (773)384-5744 Northside Chicago area (4350 W. Sunnyside)
                                                         (219)662-0902 Valparaiso, Indiana
 
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
 

 

 
Support for Adults after the Death of and Infant:

SIDS Alliance of Illinois
Chicago/Naperville
(630) 305-7300/ (800) 432-SIDS
Caring Connection/Christ Medical Center
Oak Lawn 
(708) 684-5175 or (708)-684-1146
.  
Footprints/Fox Valley Hospice 
Geneva
(630) 232-2233
HANDS
Roselle/ Wheaton
(630)-582-0874
New Cell New Cell
Journey Toward Healing/Loyola Hospital
Maywood
Nancy Kid (708) 216-1646 (708) 216-9056
 
Pregnancy Loss Support Group
Oak Park  
(708) 848-2227, at Parenthesis Parent Child Center
405 S Euclid Ave
New Cell New Cell
Perinatal Loss Support Group/Edward Hospital
Naperville 
(630) 527-3263
Perinatal Loss Support Group/Rush Pres.
Chicago
(312) 942-2298
New Cell New Cell
Perinatal Loss Support Group/Evanston
Evanston
(847) 570-2882
Together in the Loss of a Child/Northwestern
 
Northwestern Hospital- Chicago
(312)908-8400
New Cell New Cell
Pregnancy and Loss Group/
Provena St. Joseph’s Hospital
Joliet
(815) 725-7133 x3391 or x3474
Still Missed/ Hinsdale Hospital
Hinsdale
(630) 856-4497
 
New Cell New Cell
Still Missed/LaGrange Hospital
LaGrange
(630) 856-4497
Still Missed/Glen Oaks Hospital
Glendale Heights
(630) 856-4497
New Cell New Cell
Resolve Through Sharing/Lake Forest
Lake Forest
(847)535-6336
support group, can bring husband, friend, mother, etc.
Meets 7-830pm, 3rd Tuesday of the month, free
Hospital Renew Through Sharing/
NW Community Hospital
Arlington Heights
(847)618-5220
 
New Cell New Cell
H.O.L.D/Lutheran General Hospital
Park Ridge
(847)795-3165
Healing Habitat Art Therapy – Rita Gerden
(847)934-3033 
 

 

 

 
Bereavement Camps for Children:
Hand Together, Heart to Art ($50 per child/ scholarships are available)
Downtown Chicago
2 Two-week sessions, non-residence arts camps for children ages 7-14 who’ve experienced the death of a parent; limited capacity; may need a letter of reference
(312)922-2110 Ext. 353
 
Camp Courage/Hospice of Northeastern Illinois ($25/week, scholarships available)
Day Camp for 4 days in July in Ingelside, IL
Bus picks up and returns to Barrington, IL
(847)381-5599
 
Grief Takes A Hike/Fox Valley Hospice (Free)
(630)232-2233
Must reside in Western Cook County, Kane County, Kendall County, and parts of McHenry County
Weekend overnight camp for kids (ages 4-18) and their parents
Busses leave from Geneva, IL
 
Camp Care/Midwest Palliative and Hospice Care Center (free)
1. Family Day Camp in Glenview, IL - Overnight Camp and Adventure Camps in Wisconsin for children and teens
2. Camp for kids 4th-9th grade for all types of loss in Lake Geneva
(847)556-1999
 
Tommy’s Kids Camp ($25 per child/scholarships are available)
1. 5-day summer camp for ages 5-12 in Willowbrook - for children who have experienced death of family member or friend. (630)856-6485
2. Day camp in Clarenden Hills, held at Arabian nights farm, Western Theme.
 
St Thomas Hospice
Burridge
(630)856-6990