Finding light after loss

There are spaces where silence is met with understanding, where tears are not something to hide but something to honour. On Monday, April 27, the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission (AFLC) created exactly such a space through their online session, ‘When A Loved One Dies By Suicide’.  It was a session designed not to fix the unfixable, but to walk alongside those carrying the weight of unimaginable loss.

The room fostered a rare sense of safety, where shattered hearts were allowed to speak without fear of judgement, and where the word ‘suicide’ lost its power to isolate and instead became a bridge to community.

Attendees came as strangers in grief and left as companions on a shared road to healing. This was a testament to the gentle, intentional environment cultivated by the facilitators of the evening, Darlene Smith-Oliver and Georgiana Fletcher.

At the heart of the session was Tom, a father who stood in vulnerability to share the story of his daughter, Karla. With raw honesty and profound love, Tom relived his story from the moment of loss towards assimilation, sharing how God and community allowed him to overcome his pain.

Tom spoke not as someone who has moved on, but as someone who has learnt to carry Karla’s memory with grace rather than despair. His testimony revealed to participants that assimilation is not about forgetting but rather finding a way to love someone who is no longer physically present while reclaiming the capacity to live fully.

Tom did not present a tidy resolution, but rather an honest portrait of a father still learning, still healing, still choosing hope. In doing so, he gave every person in the room the space to be exactly where they are in their journey of grief.

This session reminded us that suicide loss is a unique grief, one that often carries stigma, unanswerable questions, and loneliness that can be overwhelming. Yet in this sacred space, those burdens were shared, lightened, and held by a community that understands.

Our next online session is on Monday, June 22  from 7 p.m. To register or for more information on When a loved one dies by suicide series, please email: aflc.pc@catholictt.org

Need support? Call 800-COPE (2673) Resources: https://aflcrc.org/suicide-awareness/