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Our History

In 1988, Gerard S. Garey, President of the Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities, initiated a survey to the Bishops throughout the United States, asking for information pertaining to the active bereavement ministry in their dioceses. A think tank of Catholic bereavement ministers from throughout the United States was called together by the Raskob Foundation to begin the search for ways to help those who grieve.

At the same time the National Conference of Catholic Bishops was writing the Order of Christian Funerals. The Spirit gathered people together to bring comfort and meaning into the lives of those suffereing the loss of a loved one. As a result of this survey, the National Catholic Ministry to the Bereaved (NCMB) was established in 1990 to service the grief support needs identified by the bishops.

The Order of Christian Funerals expresses it well: "When a member of Christ's Body dies, the faithful are called to a ministry of consolation to those who have suffered the loss of one whom they love. Christian consolation is rooted in that hope that comes from faith in the saving death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christian hope faces the reality of death and the anguish of grief but trusts confidently that the power of sin and death have been vanquished by the risen Lord. The Church calls each member of Christ's Body -- priest, deacon, layperson -- to participate in the ministry of consolation: to care for the dying, to pray for the dead, to comfort those who mourn."

In the Scriptures Jesus comforts those who mourn, as in Matthew 11:28-29: "Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, I will give you rest ... and you will find rest." In the same Gospel, Jesus reassures us of God's solace: "Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them!" (5:4) We as Christians follow this example.

The National Catholic Ministry to the Bereaved, Inc., listed in The Official Catholic Directory published by P.J. Kennedy & Sons, is non-profit and has 501c(3) status. The organization's Board of Trustees guides the development and overall operation of the organization as it strives to implement its mission.