Grief Support Series at La Canada Presbyterian Church Begins

The unpredictable convergence of emotions after the death of a loved one will be addressed in a welcoming, comforting setting when the La Cañada Presbyterian Church (LCPC) convenes a five-week grief support group on Sunday, May 17, at 4:00 p.m. in the church library.

“Grieving is not a weakness, for it is normal,” said the Rev. Dr. Peter Hintzoglou, LCPC’s parish associate, who will guide the sessions. “And there is no timing that one can set when grief may be over. Often, we don’t get over it, we learn to manage it.”

Helping people along the unpredictable journey will be the goal of the series, which will be held on five consecutive Sundays at no cost, with each session lasting about an hour and 15 minutes. While it’s suggested that attendees come for all five meetings, it is permissible to drop in for any of them.

Hintzoglou has extensive experience in grief support. He has been bereavement coordinator at Heartland Hospice for several years and has spent many years at LCPC counseling families in the end stages of life and the journey of grief.

He noted that “grief is unpredictable. Even when we think we are doing well, something will trigger it and the emotions will surface again.”

Hintzoglou said he has come to realize that “guilt is a huge factor in grief. ‘Have I done enough for my loved ones? Could I have done something differently?’ And so the factor of guilt surfaces. I tell each person to be gentle with yourself – don’t be hard on yourself.”

He added that the series is open to all in the community, even if they have a different faith tradition or no faith tradition. “Regardless of culture or background, we’d like to help you through this difficult time,” he said.

La Cañada Presbyterian Church is located at 626 Foothill Blvd. The library is just to the left of the main sanctuary entrance. For additional information about the grief support series, call the church office at (818) 790-6708.