Judy Russell: Grief is unpredictable. It can come in an instant, or years later.
Grief can come in a moment, or it can take years to surface.
Mike, widower of my cousin Jayne, who passed away in a memory care facility Feb. 3, says he is “emotionally traumatized.” He has what some would call a “shrine” erected to her in their sun room, her favorite room in the house. There is a crucifix, a vase of flowers, photos of her, angel figures, a rosary and LED vigil lights. Playing softly in the background, all day and until bedtime, is a series of Jayne’s favorite music — Celtic Woman, Anne Murray, Patsy Cline.
Mike, a Vietnam War veteran, is going to try a grief support group at a church in his area and has an appointment with a counselor at the Veterans Administration. He even has emailed a well-known psychic about having a one-on-one with her to see if he can contact his wife of 56 years.
On the other side of the grief pendulum is cousin Kathie, whose husband Ray, a retired Episcopal priest, passed away seven years ago. Kathie, at that time, was so overwhelmed with responsibilities (house upkeep, checking, budget, finances) that her husband had overseen, that she didn’t have time to grieve. Just the other night, Kathie said that this, the seventh year since Ray’s death, has been the worst for her. Now, she is grieving, seven years later.
We never know when grief might surface in our life, or in the lives of our family, friends or neighbors. Sometimes the best we can do is to be a good listener. If they need to talk, support them in any way we can, and continue to pray for them.
Read more Judy Russell: Click here for more Oshkosh faith columns by Judy Russell
First Presbyterian Church, 955 N. Webster Ave., Omro, is having its annual spring fundraiser, Spirit of Spring, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 4. It will include a bake sale and vendor fair. An array of homemade crafts from local crafters and vendors will be featured. After working up an appetite while shopping, visitors can stop at the kitchen for lunch. Proceeds help the congregation continue its ministries and outreach in the community.
The Christian Action Committee of St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1100 E. Murdock Ave., Oshkosh, is sponsoring a Rummage Sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4.
Walk to Mary, a 21-mile pilgrimage to raise funds for the support of children in the Catholic faith, will take place May 4. The walk will start at the National Shrine of St. Joseph at Old St. Joseph Church at St. Norbert College in De Pere. It will end at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Champion. People can join in at several points along the way to make their pilgrimage shorter. A special 1.7-mile segment of the walk will accommodate children, families and individuals who would like to participate but are challenged to walk longer distances. Transportation will be available to assist Pilgrims who struggle to complete the walk. For more information, email [email protected], or call 888-838-4514.
Families are needed to host an international student with the Global Outreach Program for the 2024-25 school year. Global Outreach is a Catholic student exchange program that invites high school students from Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia to study at Catholic high schools in Wisconsin and Nebraska for one year. This is an experience of a lifetime for an international student to live with an American family and experience the language, customs, culture and faith life of the United States. To learn more, contact Fr. Larry Seidl at 920-412-0320 or email to [email protected].
Solutions Recovery in Oshkosh needs new bedding for approximately 50 twin beds and 10 full-size beds. Needs include twin sheets/comforters, standard pillows and pillow cases, full sheets/comforters, and pillow and mattress protectors (bed bug resistant). A bin is in the Gathering Space at St. Raphael Church in Oshkosh, 830 S. Westhaven Drive, to collect bedding. For more information, call the parish office at 920-233-8044 and ask for Jessie.
The Great Plant Exchange will take place in the parking lot at First Presbyterian Church, 110 Church Ave., Oshkosh, from 8 a.m. to noon June 1. You can bring or take a plant, but you don’t have to bring a plant to take a plant. Indoor and outdoor plants will be free to a loving home. Drop off extra flowers and plants to share with others. Pick up something new for your garden. Meet friends and exchange gardening tips. Donate plants (non-invasive plants only) in non-returnable containers.
The St. Mary churches of Omro and Winneconne are hosting a Ministry Appreciation Dinner from 5:45 to 8 p.m. May 13 to say thank you to their dedicated ministry people. The guest speaker will be Fr. John Girotti, who will speak on the topic, “We are Called to be Saints! Holiness in Everyday Life.”
First Communion Receptions will take place after the 10:30 a.m. Mass May 12 at the St. Mary site and after the 8:30 a.m. Mass May 26 at the St. Peter site, of Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in Oshkosh. They will include light food, beverages and dessert.
The last presentation in the Lakeside Speakers Series for the season at the Jesuit Retreat House in Oshkosh is scheduled for 6:30 to 8 p.m. May 8. Fr. Peter Nguyen, SJ, will speak about growing up as a Vietnamese refugee, learning to be an American, and integrating the devout faith of his family with the faith he learned in his Jesuit formation and schooling. RSVPs are appreciated and may be made by calling the retreat house at 920-231-9060. The program is open to the public. The retreat house is on Lake Winnebago, 4800 Fahrnwald Road, 6 miles south of Oshkosh on U.S. Highway 45.
St. Jude Parish in Oshkosh is updating its list of volunteers for its Card Sending Ministry. This is a list of folks who are 80 years of age and older who receive cards from the parish for different occasions. St. Jude provides the volunteers with a list of names, greeting cards and postage. The parish considers this “a wonderful way to let those folks who have given so much to our Parish throughout their lives know they are not forgotten. This is one of the programs overseen by Bertie Albright, care ministry and outreach coordinator.
Fr. Quinn Mann, Parochial Vicar at St. Raphael Parish in Oshkosh, has been appointed administrator of St. Agnes Parish in Green Bay. His time in Oshkosh ends June 30. July 1, Fr. Ben Pribbenow will begin serving at St. Raphael’s as Parochial Vicar. He was ordained in 2023. This past year, he served at the parishes in Kaukauna, in addition to being the chaplain to Lourdes Academy High School and the celebrant of the Spanish Mass on the first and third Sundays of the month at the St. Peter site of Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in Oshkosh. When he joins St. Raphael’s, he will continue to serve as chaplain at Lourdes and will continue to have the Spanish Mass.
Thought for the Day: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” — Jimi Hendrix
Judy Russell of Oshkosh writes about happenings at area centers of worship. To submit news for her consideration, email [email protected] with the subject “Church news.” Deadline is 5 p.m. Mondays.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh faith column addresses grief and how it can come at any time
