Seasons of Hope Journal Two

"Communicating loss is essential. Opportunities to communicate with others are essential. Opportunities to communicate with God are necessary. Seasons of Hope offers those opportunities and, as a bishop, I offer my whole-hearted support and blessing."

"Seasons of Hope is a godsend. It is solidly Catholic, imbued by hope and comfort while also being open to the real experiences of each participant. It provides an opportunity for those who are grieving to be together, share what is in their hearts, listen to God and to each other, and be heard and comforted. The program is simple, easy to lead, and scripture based. It gets people through hard times, giving them courage to surrender to God and invite him into their pain, and that this made all the difference."

“Our bereavement ministry has been using this program for the last ten years and it always works for us. Donna MacLeod’s step-by-step Leader's Guide always puts me at ease when leading grief-support meetings. More importantly, this program gives each participant new hope in the Catholic Church and how it can help a hurting person in their grief journey.”

"As a seasoned facilitator of MacLeod’s marvelous program, time and time again I have witnessed the Holy Spirit at work as participants journey together in and through their grief. They consistently express appreciation for the uniquely faith-based content that may have attracted them to Seasons of Hope in the first place, or that was lacking in other grief support programs some had participated in, or that spoke to them as they sought God’s presence and a greater understanding of their grief. For those considering facilitating this program, be assured that the Leader's Guide is filled with Donna’s insightful, practical, and comprehensive guidance that’s sure to bless."

"What most drew me to Seasons of Hope was its explicitly Catholic foundation. In contrast to secular support groups for the grieving, Seasons of Hope puts Jesus at the center and invites participants to entrust their loss and loneliness to him within the abundant consoling wisdom of our Catholic tradition. Having just lost my mother, I was a natural candidate for Seasons of Hope as a facilitator. Its well-structured format enhanced our efforts and when the sessions came to a close, I’d grown quite attached to my fellow group members. It was hard for all of us to see our time together end."

"Many people in our parish community have become involved with Seasons of Hope. It has brought hope, healing, peace, and love to so many. One of the great aspects of this program is that by offering four 'seasons' our parish can provide multiple opportunities each year for people to participate when they are ready for that first step or return when they are ready for more. Most importantly, Seasons of Hope engages the faith life of those who use it and draws them into a deeper relationship with the living God. What a blessing it has been for our parish!"