April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Grief counselors ready to help NY
Immediately after the disaster, Catholic Charities executive director Sister Maureen Joyce, RSM, contacted her peers in the three dioceses most directly affected: the Archdiocese of New York, which includes New York City; the Rockville Centre Diocese, which includes Long Island; and the Brooklyn Diocese.
She offered whatever help Catholic Charities could provide, including grief counselors from its many agencies.
Staten Island
"They asked us to concentrate [our efforts] in the Staten Island area, because that's where most of the firefighters reside," Sister Maureen said. She was told help would especially be needed in planning funerals for the victims.Catholic Charities asked its agencies to assemble lists of counselors willing to go to New York. About 25 therapists volunteered and were assembled into teams of three or four. Each team will spend three days in the city before being replaced by the next.
Sister Maureen said more therapists are welcome to volunteer. "The more people we get, the more days we can cover," she said.
On hold
As The Evangelist went to press, the teams had not yet left for New York. Sister Maureen explained that as long as families were holding out hope of their loved ones' being found alive, they were not interested in planning funerals or memorial services."I think we're going to be going," she stated. "It's just a matter of when."
The director said she was proud of her agencies' willingness to pitch in during the national tragedy. "Our staff are so committed to helping out," she said.
(Contact diocesan Catholic Charities at 453-6650.)
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