The Lazarus Ministry

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The Lazarus Ministry

• St. Bartholomew Church
• East Brunswick

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Lazarus Ministry

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

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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 Barts should grieve alone.
• Support comes not only from individuals family,
  but also from the St Barts family.
• It may even be a source of a deepening faith and
  relationship with God.

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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.

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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.

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Lazarus Ministry

• Designed to provide immediate support to a parish
  family following the death of a loved one.
• Personal phone call from a trained member of the
  ministry to offer condolences from the St Barts
  family and assistance.
• Follow up through the burial and 40 days after
  the death.
• Referral to the Bereavement Ministry.

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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.

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Organization

• Initial meeting called by Msgr. Alliegro in
  November 2002.
• 22 members to date.
• Four teams formed with Fr. Joe Kerrigans
  guidance.

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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

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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.

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First Response

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

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First Response

• Home visit
• Explain the function of the Funeral Day Team
• St Barts 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

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Funeral Day Team

• St Barts 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

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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 bereaveds home or at St.
  Barts
• Sends a personal invitation for bereaved to
  attend Mass on All Souls Day.
• Maintains death database.

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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.

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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