Our Lady Queen of Martyrs

Consolation/Bereavement Ministry

The Consolation and Bereavement Ministry at OLQM works under the supervision of Bishop Sanchez, Father Passenant, and Pastoral Care Administrator Dennis Portelli. The Consolation Ministry attends Wake Prayer Services and assists families in preparation for the Christian Funeral Rite of the Church. We update the Funeral Liturgy Planner and Music Selection sheets as well as provide additional support to families during this difficult time for them.

The Bereavement Support Group offers spiritual support to parishioners (as well as non-parishioners) who have recently suffered a loss. We offer a caring environment, hope and comfort; we are non-judgmental and respect privacy in all aspects of the grieving process and point toward healing.

Meetings of the bereavement support group are typically the first and third Mondays of the month, 7-9 p.m. Occasionally schedule adjustments are necessary because of federal holidays falling on Mondays.

If you are interested in attending a bereavement meeting, especially for the first time, an RSVP is required. Please call ahead to the rectory at 718-268-6251 or email the group coordinator for further information on meeting times and place.

About the Bereavement Support Coordinator

Commissioned Lay Pastoral Leader, Yorke Mizelle

Contact: Yorke Mizelle, Commissioned Lay Pastoral Leader & Coordinator, ymizelle@gmail.com

I am a parishioner here at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs. I was baptized into the Catholic Christian faith at the 2007 Vigil Mass celebrated by Msgr. Joseph Funaro. Filled with the Holy Spirit, I volunteered to be a member of Pastoral Care, became a Minister of Holy Communion, and was accepted as a catechist, teaching the faith to third-grade public school Catholic Christian children. I heard the call and went on to complete the Diocesan Pastoral Institute three-year program of study and preparation for lay ministry. In May 2013, I was commissioned as a Lay Pastoral Leader in the Diocese of Brooklyn by Bishop DiMarzio. I am also president of the OLQM Pastoral Care group.