MANVILLE, NJ [Holy Ghost Church] - In its second presentation of possible lay ministries for engagement, the NJ Deanery hosted Fr. Anthony Lipari to present a workshop entitled "Grief Ministry: Healing the brokenness Within".

The day began in the nave of the church with host pastor, Fr. Ken Ellis, offering a Panachida for the departed faithful of the deanery parish families. At the completion of the service, the Dean of NJ, Very Rev. Michael Chendorain, welcomed the faithful and invited them to the church basement for light refreshments and the introduction of the guest speaker. After everyone assembled, Fr. Ken introduced Fr. Anthony and gave a brief history of their professional associations which led to a personal connection and the opportunity to present the topic at hand.

Fr. Anthony expressed his joy at the invitation to speak and quickly went into his presentation. His dynamic style was captivating as he engaged the faithful with humor and sober moments of reflection. Everyone was called upon to participate in some way whether by sharing personal experiences with the group or in smaller groups. Fr. Anthony offered practical applications of grief ministry in both the individual setting and in a more corporate way within the parish/deanery setting. After a brief working lunch, the presentation was brought to a fitting synopsis and conclusion. He challenged those gathered to consider their individual abilities and desires in establishing a deanery response effort to something everyone deals with in one form or another.

The faithful and clergy left with a renewed sense of purpose in their drive to establish a Grief Ministry in the NJ Deanery in the near future.