The Parish of St. Thomas & St. Timothy is deeply sorry for the loss of your loved one.
Here is some information about planning funerals:
1. Call the funeral home of your choice. They will coordinate with the Parish to find availability of dates and clergy.
2. Our Funeral Coordinators will reach out to you to plan a meeting. Trish Reagan is our coordinator for funerals at St. Thomas & St. Timothy Parish. You do not have to plan everything prior to our meeting, but it helps to have an idea of what would honor your loved one in the most personal way.
- Readings: (reading links coming soon)
- First Reading from the Old Testament
- Second Reading from the New Testament
- Gospel reading
- Prayers of the Faithful — specific prayers written with your loved one and family in mind, composed together with the coordinator
- Music
- FuneralMusic.info has short excerpts of many of these songs to listen to. Every effort will be made to honor requests not on this list, with approval from the Music Director.
- Choosing Readers
- You may choose up to 3 people to participate in the Mass by doing the 1st and 2nd readings, and the Prayers of the Faithful.
- Eulogy
- Eulogies should be brief and should honor the sanctity of the Funeral Mass. We suggest that the content should share stories from your point of view. Additional guidance will be provided by the Funeral Coordinator.
We are here for you, to help you plan a Funeral Mass that truly honors your loved one.
New Day Bereavement Support Group
A JOURNEY FOR PEOPLE COPING WITH THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE
The Parish of St. Thomas & St. Timothy and St. Peter Claver are working collaboratively to provide Bereavement Support for anyone in the West Hartford area. A Bereavement Support Group is offered each spring and fall.
Grief is the process by which we adapt to any significant loss in our lives, and it requires honest work to make the journey to a new and hope filled day. We offer an in-person bereavement support group utilizing the New Day Journal: A Journey From Grief to Healing, developed by Sr. Maureen O’Brien, OP.
During each meeting, participants will work through an element of the grieving process using prayer, reflection and sharing. The facilitators and other participants are present to support each other. Everything that is shared during the meetings is completely confidential.
The group facilitators are not licensed grief counselors and cannot offer counselling services. They have received training. They accompany participants on their grief journey and will offer referrals if a participant’s needs are beyond the scope that can be addressed by the group.
While our group of facilitators are Catholic Christians, anyone who is at ease with Christian Scripture and prayer is welcome and can participate fully. Enrollment is required to attend. For more information and to enroll, please contact Ellen Gilhooly, Pastor’s Assistant. 860-233-4580 x 211 elleng@stastm.org