New Beginnings

By Sr. Suzanne Marshall, O.L.M.
May/June 2011

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Her pain was palpable as she continued to cry her anguish and confusion at the turn her life had taken. The group of women and men who had come to the meeting waited in silent accompaniment for her to find words to share her distress. Each of us in our own way had been where she was now.

I am part of the group attending the monthly meeting of New Beginnings at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Scarborough, Ontario. Although this group is relatively new to me, it was started in 1976 by Sister Jean DeLuca of the Sisters of St. Joseph. In the summer of 2010 Catholic Family Services took the responsibility of administering the program.

Since the first meeting I attended at St. Bonaventure’s parish in the fall of 2010, I have been overwhelmed by the degree of grief and hurt that fills the lives of people who come to New Beginnings in search of healing. Like many self-help groups, the members share as much as they choose. As they talk and listen, they often see a pattern and path forward where before there was only hopeless panic and overlapping circles of pain.

It takes courage to come to the meeting and trust in the members enough to share such a sacred part of one’s life. What we gain is the understanding that we are not alone, that others have been there and can affirm that life can and does get better. We find wisdom in the practical suggestions that are offered, we find comfort in hands reaching out in solidarity, and we find hope as we recognize that people are meant to heal.

I feel honoured and humbled to be part of this small group. I come away revitalized by the people I meet there, their goodness, their fidelity to family, their willingness to bear so much hurt and not opt out, which must be such a great temptation at times. I witness their power to often forgive the unforgiveable. In the courage of the human heart I see God who has loved us into existence, who has walked with us every step of our lives, and who is there with all we need to move out of the shadow of death into wholeness where we are meant to live.

New Beginnings is a ministry of Catholic Family Services of Toronto to meet the needs of those who are separated, divorced and widowed. Through various programs: retreats, mini retreats, bereavement groups, divorce groups, and parish based support groups, participants are given the opportunity to move through grief, hurt, anger, and depression to healing, forgiveness, closure and the beginning of a new fulfilling life.
Visit: www.cfstoronto.com

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