St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jamestown will be hosting a new program this year that will focus on loss and mourning.

In the five-week “Good Grief” program, participants will learn skills on how to deal with grief and help others with their grief as well. The Rev. Luke Fodor said the program is about understanding how loss works from a clinical perspective and reflecting on grief in one’s own life or others.

The facilitator for the program is Narda Gatgen. Fodor said Gatgen has been employed at New Directions Youth and Family Services for 30 years and presently serves as the clinical director. Her experience within the agency has been treatment in foster care, residential services and the four agency-operated boarding homes. Gatgen conducts trainings for New Directions teaching Normative Culture and is a licensed clinical social worker and Certified Grief Professional.

“This is a conversation that I think pretty much anybody can use right now,” Fodor said. “Two years of grief and loss. I’ve been talking to some colleagues about doing something like this for a while. We had a parishioner come forward and she said ‘I’ve listened to your sermons and I’d like to offer something. I’m a grief therapist.'”

The parishioner was Gaten, and the planning for the program began. Fodor said each session will begin with a didactic session, reflection and on March 16, it will include a musical component that will be held in the sanctuary of the church. The other meetings will be held in the church’s undercroft, which can be accessed through the Fourth Street entrance.

“Our parishioner, Narda, will do the work,” he said. “She’ll share quotes, some best practices and some thoughts. Then, she’ll give people a prompt and they can write some things down. Then the clergy will kind of help set the stage either with grief and loss in scripture or some prayer.”

Fodor said some Lenten-themed artwork will be displayed in the church for the programs, which was created by Lindsey Erickson, a former resident of Lakewood.

“She does this incredible paper art where she kind of cuts away and reveals layers of paper, and most of her work is tied to scripture,” Fodor said. “There are about 19 pieces, and we’ll have those on display. Then, at the end of the series, we’ll be able to auction off about five or so pieces and the money will go to the Mental Health Association.”

He said the program is not a grief group, but rather a program where participants can attend to “educate, connect, learn and pray.”

The program will continue each Wednesday until April 6.