HUNTERSVILLE — Death and taxes. Both are inescapable. But as Catholics we know that death is not the end. Earth is just the first part of our journey home to the Father. His Kingdom is our ultimate goal.
But even as practicing Catholics, losing a loved one can be extremely difficult. That’s where the Bereavement Ministry at St. Mark Church in Huntersville can be a great comfort. The growing ministry launched group sessions to better serve parish families who have suffered a loss.
About 18 members serve in the parish ministry, which is led by Deacon Richard McCarron.
“When I was in formation in the diaconate, we were required to get involved in various diocesan ministries and they assigned me to work in bereavement support at a local hospital in their hospice program,” Deacon McCarron said. “I facilitated group sessions and I was astounded to see the healing that took place there and how the participants helped each other after realizing that everybody grieved differently. It was truly an eye-opening experience for me.”
The bereavement team reaches out to the family of the deceased by attending the viewing and offering condolences on behalf of the parish family. On the day of the funeral they attend the Mass, distribute the Mass booklets and generally assist the family with whatever they need.
Nancy McGahey is one of the team members. “I am the registration person,” McGahey said. “When people call I answer any questions they may have and gather their contact information. Each person I speak with is totally different than the next, with the exception that each one has suffered a loss. I never rush the calls and never try to ‘squeeze’ them in between something else that I’m doing, because I would hate to cut someone off as they are sharing about their loss. Some folks just get the time and date information of the group sessions, while others want to share every detail and I feel like that is part of what I can offer – just an ear.”
Even after the funeral, the Bereavement Ministry is there to support the family.
“When we moved to St. Mark Parish from New Jersey, we found that they had a wonderful bereavement support group already in place,” said Deacon McCarron. “The one component missing was the group sessions. To rectify this, we had about 12 people trained to become facilitators so that we could start bereavement sessions in our parish.”
The sessions are running for eight consecutive weeks with the last session in November. On All Souls Day a Mass of Remembrance will be offered. At the Mass the names of all those who were buried from St. Mark Church that year are announced and a candle is lit in memory of the deceased.
Deacon McCarron leads all the sessions, which open with a thought-provoking idea either through a video, a poem or a story. Then participants can share what is on their mind. No one is forced to speak and what is said during the sessions is kept confidential.
McGahey is also a facilitator at the sessions. “Like so many things in life where that little voice inside whispers in your ear, I had thought about Bereavement Ministry, but it took Deacon Rich to invite me into this ministry,” McGahey shared. “You should never underestimate that little voice that we often hear. And truly, being part of the Bereavement Ministry has been a gift where I have received much more than I feel I have given.”
After the sessions are over, on the first anniversary of their loved one’s death, a team member sends the family a card from St. Mark Bereavement Ministry so they know they are not forgotten.
— Diana Patulak Ross, correspondent
Learn more
For more information about St. Mark Parish’s Bereavement Ministry, call Nancy McGahey at 704-608-7067 or email Deacon Rich McCarron at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
‘Spreading the love of God all over the world’
CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Catholic High School graduate Melina Tirrell is taking a leap of faith. Instead of heading off to college this fall with her peers, she is setting off on a worldwide mission called the World Race.
Tirrell, a parishioner of St. Matthew Church in south Charlotte, left Charlotte Sept. 10 to volunteer with The World Race, a Christian mission that challenges young adults “to abandon worldly possessions and a traditional lifestyle in exchange for an understanding that it’s not about you; it’s about the Kingdom.”
She will be serving people in Costa Rica, South Africa, Thailand and Myanmar over the course of her nine-month mission trip.
Tirrell explains that ministry on the World Race includes anything from working in orphanages, mentoring street kids, befriending those trapped in human trafficking, going on door-to-door outreach, doing manual labor, teaching English, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and much more.
“My sister had given me the idea to take a gap year,” Tirrell explains. “When she brought it up, my very first thought was, ‘No, I have to go straight to college like everyone else.’ But I quickly realized, ‘Yeah, I have to go to college, but why do I have to go right after high school?’”
She started researching gap year programs and things all kind of fell into place from there, she says.
Tirrell shares that she has a family friend who completed the race a few years ago, and when she was looking for programs she remembered her.
“The funny thing was, when I brought the idea to my mom about doing the World Race Gap Year, she told me that she had recently heard about it over social media and thought it would be awesome.”
Mom Lori Tirrell says she is excited for Melina to embark on this journey.
“While I have a range of emotion as she prepares to leave, travel and serve for nine months, I remain focused on doing my best to trust that she is following God’s plan. As I look back, I take comfort in seeing how God has been preparing Melina her whole life to serve.”
Lori shares that it has also been amazing to see how God has revealed Himself to their family in so many ways, through so many people over the past several months with connections made, fundraising, etc., as Melina prepares to leave for the mission trip.
“Through this experience Melina has been bold in expressing her beliefs and relying on God through prayer. Her Catholic faith has been strengthened, and I am confident that, in her words, as she ‘lets go and lets God,’ her relationship with Jesus will grow even deeper,” Lori says.
Tirrell’s father Ed shares that as Melina’s dad, his mission has been to protect and nurture her with unconditional love.
“Watching Melina grow into a loving, confident young woman has been an incredible journey,” he says. “She will soon embark on an amazing nine-month mission trip to serve others, and I am at peace knowing God will be with her every step of the way.”
In order to participate in The World Race, Tirrell has had to fund raise on her own.
“Most of my donations have been made directly to my blog,” she explains. She sold about 200 T-shirts and conducted an “adopt-a-box” fundraiser where donors could “adopt” a box (numbered 1-100) and that’s how much they donated.
“My financial goal is $15,800 set by the Adventures in Missions Organization. I currently have raised about $12,714,” Tirrell says.
Starting Sept. 10, she will be in Costa Rica the first three months of the World Race. From there, she will travel to South Africa for another three months, then serve in Thailand for two months, then in Myanmar for the final month.
“A few weeks ago I went to our 10-day training camp. Just in those 10 days I felt an incredible impact on my Catholic faith,” Tirrell notes.
“I’ve already seen God move in amazing ways through my team in prayer and petition just from those 10 days. I’m so excited to see what God has in store for me in these next nine months as I grow with Him on this journey I am about to embark on!
“The reason I chose the World Race is because it gives me the opportunity to follow my passion of serving others while spreading the love of God all over the world! Who wouldn’t choose that over going straight to college?”
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Help Tirrell in her mission
Want to help Tirrell meet her goal or follow her along on her journey? Go online to her blog at www.melinatirrell.theworldrace.org. More information about the World Race is at www.worldrace.org.