The Catholic Grief Podcast

How Blessed Am I: Grieving the Loss of a Parent with Theresa Matters E8

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599091/fan_mail/new] What happens when the person who has always been your rock is suddenly gone?  In this episode, I sit down with Theresa Matters, a certified Catholic mindset coach, speaker, and retreat facilitator inspired by Saint Therese of Lisieux. Theresa shares the story of losing her father, Deacon Randy Matters, suddenly on Mother's Day, the day before his birthday, after only four days in the hospital. He was sixty years old. Theresa opens up about the layers of loss she was navigating all at once, including divorce, a three-year annulment process, and co-parenting three children, all while watching her rock be taken home too soon. She shares her honest wrestling with anger toward God, the slow shift toward healing, and how she has come to see herself and her father as a team, with him interceding for her from heaven. This conversation is for anyone who has lost a parent, who is carrying grief they cannot yet see through, or who needs permission to bring their anger and questions straight to God. You will also hear Theresa's beautiful PB and J practice: Pause, Breathe, and invite Jesus in. A simple tool you can carry into any moment of grief or overwhelm. In this episode: Navigating divorce and a three-year annulment process as a Catholic woman Who Deacon Randy Matters was and the quiet, lasting way he shaped his family The four days in the hospital and the goodbye Theresa did not see coming Wrestling with anger toward God and why that is not a sign of weak faith How Catholic mindset coaching helped open the door to healing Finding gratitude for a father who makes it so hard to lose him Saint Therese, the Little Way, and why Theresa believes they have been journeying together all along  Connect with Theresa: Instagram: @little.way.freedom Email: LittleWayFreedom@gmail.com or hello@theresamatters.com Free resource: Little Way Rose Novena PDF https://mailchi.mp/6bf019fccdd1/fdyrr1tes2 [https://mailchi.mp/6bf019fccdd1/fdyrr1tes2?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExZjBKdVRUT1NzZDNMd1NyQXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR47QN1vey3uwUyfdVeIx-emk_1l_mWpsNH3aZo4eBFbvDvopAU4M4vZSM5cZA_aem_LtmTPPlMOj3HURfR1oHd3Q] You can also book a free discovery call here: https://calendly.com/littlewayfreedom/welcome30minutecoaching [https://calendly.com/littlewayfreedom/welcome30minutecoaching?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExZjBKdVRUT1NzZDNMd1NyQXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR47QN1vey3uwUyfdVeIx-emk_1l_mWpsNH3aZo4eBFbvDvopAU4M4vZSM5cZA_aem_LtmTPPlMOj3HURfR1oHd3Q] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599091/support] Jenny Burba is a Catholic widow, speaker, and Creative Resilience Strategist helping women navigate grief through faith and creativity. Through her Creative Resilience program, she guides women in gently rebuilding their lives after loss. If this episode spoke to your heart, be sure to follow, share, and leave a review so more women can find hope in their grief. You can learn more, explore resources, and connect with Jenny at jennyburba.com [https://www.jennyburba.com/]

The Day My World Shattered: Losing my Husband E7

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599091/fan_mail/new] There is a specific kind of grief that comes when you lose the person you were supposed to grow old with. It is not just sadness. It is disorientation. It is your world being turned upside down. In this episode, I share the story of losing my husband Shawn to COVID in October 2021. From the morning we drove to the ER, to the 20 days he spent on a ventilator, to the early hours of October 23rd when I drove to the hospital alone in the rain, praying my rosary, knowing what I was driving toward. This is the longest episode I have recorded so far. It is heavy. But it is also a story about the presence of God in the middle of the worst night of my life. About the priests who showed up. About the friends who carried me. About the peace that came when there were no answers left. And about why, despite not getting the miracle I begged for, I still believe. If you have lost a spouse, especially during COVID, I hope this episode meets you where you are. You are not alone. And you are held. A Note Before Listening This episode contains detailed accounts of hospital experiences, the death of a spouse, and the early hours of grief. Please listen with care, in pieces if you need to, and at a time when you can be gentle with yourself. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599091/support] Jenny Burba is a Catholic widow, speaker, and Creative Resilience Strategist helping women navigate grief through faith and creativity. Through her Creative Resilience program, she guides women in gently rebuilding their lives after loss. If this episode spoke to your heart, be sure to follow, share, and leave a review so more women can find hope in their grief. You can learn more, explore resources, and connect with Jenny at jennyburba.com [https://www.jennyburba.com/]

A Note From Me — And a Few Things About Widowhood

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599091/fan_mail/new] Episode 7 is coming — and it's taking a little longer than planned, because some stories deserve more than just getting through them. In this short episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on why recording the story of losing my husband Shawn has been harder than I expected, and why I think that's actually okay. I also share a few honest reflections on widowhood — what it really does to your identity, why it's so exhausting in ways people don't always talk about, and why it doesn't have to be the end of your story. If you are a widow, or you love someone who is, this one is for you. Episode 7 is coming soon. Thank you for being here while I get it right. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599091/support] Jenny Burba is a Catholic widow, speaker, and Creative Resilience Strategist helping women navigate grief through faith and creativity. Through her Creative Resilience program, she guides women in gently rebuilding their lives after loss. If this episode spoke to your heart, be sure to follow, share, and leave a review so more women can find hope in their grief. You can learn more, explore resources, and connect with Jenny at jennyburba.com [https://www.jennyburba.com/]

The Grief That Changed Me Forever: Losing My Son Max | The Catholic Grief Podcast (E6)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599091/fan_mail/new] December 7th, 2014 is a date that divided my life into a clear before and after. In this deeply personal episode of The Catholic Grief Podcast, I share the story of losing my son Maximilian Isaac — a late-term pregnancy loss at 19 weeks and 3 days — and how that grief shaped my faith, my marriage, and ultimately my calling to walk with others through loss. I talk openly about the moments most people don't share: the cold hospital room away from the mothers with living babies, the spiral of questions and guilt that followed me home, wondering if God was punishing me — and the quiet, unexpected graces that showed up anyway. The doctor God sent at just the right moment. The blue and purple clothes at his funeral. The shadowbox I created to keep him visible. And the prayer we still say as a family to this day: 'Little Max, pray for us.' If you have experienced pregnancy loss, stillbirth, miscarriage, or the loss of a child at any stage — including if you are carrying grief and guilt over an abortion — this episode is for you. You are not forgotten here. We also explore the witness of Saint Zélie Martin, who lost four children in infancy, and her beautiful words: 'We shall find our little ones again up above.'   In this episode: ✦ The story of losing Maximilian Isaac at 19 weeks 3 days ✦ What grief looks like when you get home from the hospital ✦ The questions and guilt that follow pregnancy loss ✦ How this loss deepened faith and drew a marriage closer to God ✦ Saint Zélie Martin and her witness to grieving mothers ✦ Creativity as a path through grief — the blog and the shadowbox ✦ A gentle invitation to honor your child and name them if you haven't yet   Resources mentioned: ✦ Letters to Maximilian blog: letterstolittlemax.wordpress.com ✦ Jenny's grief resources: jennyburba.com ✦ Saint Zélie Martin — look up her story and her words for grieving mothers   If this episode spoke to your heart, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs it. Your review helps other grieving hearts find this podcast. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599091/support] Jenny Burba is a Catholic widow, speaker, and Creative Resilience Strategist helping women navigate grief through faith and creativity. Through her Creative Resilience program, she guides women in gently rebuilding their lives after loss. If this episode spoke to your heart, be sure to follow, share, and leave a review so more women can find hope in their grief. You can learn more, explore resources, and connect with Jenny at jennyburba.com [https://www.jennyburba.com/]

Where Is God in Grief? When God Feels Distant After Loss (E5)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599091/fan_mail/new] One of the hardest parts of grief isn’t just the loss… It’s the silence. The moments where you pray…  but it feels quiet.  Where you reach for God…  and don’t feel anything in return. In this episode, we talk about what it means when God feels distant in grief. Not from a place of perfect answers…  but from lived experience. You’ll hear: *  Why grief can change how we experience God  *  The difference between what we feel and what is true  *  How God is present even when He feels silent  *  What faith can look like in the middle of pain  *  A simple 5-minute prayer to reconnect when God feels far  If you’ve ever wondered,  “God… where are You?” this episode is for you. Because feeling abandoned…  is not the same as being abandoned. And even in the silence…  He is still near. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599091/support] Jenny Burba is a Catholic widow, speaker, and Creative Resilience Strategist helping women navigate grief through faith and creativity. Through her Creative Resilience program, she guides women in gently rebuilding their lives after loss. If this episode spoke to your heart, be sure to follow, share, and leave a review so more women can find hope in their grief. You can learn more, explore resources, and connect with Jenny at jennyburba.com [https://www.jennyburba.com/]