Lazarus Ministry

We are looking to start a Lazarus Ministry here at St. Joseph’s. The Lazarus Ministry will be our parish outreach to members of the church community who have lost a loved one through death.

The goals of the Ministry are:

• • To unite our parish family as together we care for those dealing with the death of a loved one.
  • To explain the rites of Christian Burial and help with Funeral planning if needed.
  • To provide follow-up support so the bereaved know they do not grieve alone.

The Lazarus Ministry will be comprised of adults who give of their time in order to assist other parishioners through the difficult times of loss. They will assist as altar servers or lectors at Funeral Masses. The Lazarus Ministry will be designed to provide immediate support to a family following the death of a loved one.

Parishioners trained for the Lazarus Ministry will call the family with condolences on behalf of our priests and the parish community and offer to meet with the family in planning the funeral liturgy. At the meeting the family selects appropriate readings and hymns and decides how they will participate in the funeral liturgy.

The Lazarus Minister is there to offer support and whatever assistance they can. If any adult is interested in joining the Lazarus Ministry, please contact Fr. Scott at the Rectory or e-mail Fr. Scott at frscott@stjosephbogota.org