Pastoral Care for Specific Needs

Below you will find some suggested resources that can help you bring the light and tenderness of Christ to people in your community who are struggling with various life issues.  These resources have been vetted for soundness and fidelity to Catholic teaching.  For a list of adult faith formation resources, click here. For a general list of local Catholic ministries, click here.

If you have suggestions of resources that should be added to this list, please email us at phillyevang@archphila.org.

Resources for Specific Areas of Pastoral Care

Addiction (Drug, Alcohol, Sex, Pornography, etc…)

• Hope in Christ: Spiritual Support for Addiction, Catholic resources and local spiritual supports for recovery
• RecoveryandHope.org, local resources for recovery
• CovenantEyes.com, resources for pornography addiction
• IntegrityRestored.com, resources for pornography addiction
• MagdalaMinistries.org, recovery and healing for women who struggle with pornography/sex addictions
• Bloom for Catholic Women, healing for betrayal trauma

Baptism Preparation

• Reborn, Baptism Preparation, Augustine Institute
• Belonging, Baptism Preparation, Ascension Press

Bereavement

• Office for Life and Family Bereavement Resources

Caregiving

• Nourish for Caregivers, pastoral care for caregivers
• Hem of Christ Ministry, ministry for those journeying with dementia
• Peace with Dementia Rosary

Christian Initiation (oCIA)

• CREDO, St. Benedict Press, for Christian Initiation (OCIA)
• Symbolon, on Formed.org

Disabilities

• Office for Pastoral Care for Persons with Disabilities and the Deaf Apostolate
• Website: AutismConsecrated.com

Divorce

• Surviving Divorce, Ascension Press
• St. Raymond Nonnatus Foundation

End of Life

• Life-Affirming Choices, presentations and videos
• National Catholic Bioethics Center
  • NCBC End-of-Life Guide:  English / Español
• Terri Schiavo Life and Hope Network

Infertility and WOmen’s Health

• Gianna Center for Women’s Health and Fertility, Philadelphia (Español)
• Springs in the Desert, apostolate for those struggling with infertility
• Springs of Love, Catholic foster and adoption support

Mental Health, Inner Healing & Freedom

• Archdiocesan website, Be Encouraged: Catholic Support for Mental Health: archphila.org/support
• Unbound Deliverance Ministry, inner freedom and deliverance (Español)
• JPII Healing Center, inner healing
  • Book: Be Healed, Bob Schuchts (Español)
• Reform Wellness, health and wellness apostolate
• From Grief to Grace Retreats, healing for survivors of sexual trauma
• Revive Parish training course, Mental Health in Parish Ministry
• Sacred Heart Healing Ministries, healing of trauma
  • Book: More Than Words: The Freedom to Thrive After Trauma, by Margaret Vasquez
• Sanctuary course, 8-session course on mental health themes and accompaniment (Español)
• You Are Made New Ministries, healing and wholeness for women

Marriage and Family Enrichment

• Beloved: Finding Happiness in Marriage, Marriage Enrichment or Marriage Preparation, Augustine Institute
• Communio, helps your parish evangelize through marriage and relationship health ministry
• ForYourMarriage.org
• Teams of Our Lady
• Worldwide Marriage Encounter, Spiritual support for married couples

Marriage Healing

• Resources for Overcoming Marital Adversity, from the USCCB website ForYourMarriage.org
• Retrouvaille Retreats
• Book: Marriage 911: How God Saved Our Marriage (and Can Save Yours, Too!)

Marriage Preparation

• Archdiocesan Marriage Preparation

Post-Abortion Healing

• Sisters of Life
• Project Rachel
• Rachel’s Vineyard
• Office for Life and Family Resources

Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation

• Video series: Forgiven: The Transforming Power of Confession, Augustine Institute

Same-Sex Attraction and Gender Dysphoria

• Courage Apostolate for those who experience same-sex attraction
  • EnCourage Apostolate for family members and loved ones of those who experience same-sex attraction
• Eden Invitation
• Video: The Third Way: Homosexuality and the Catholic Church, Blackstone Films
• A Catechesis on the Human Person and Gender Ideology, Diocese of Arlington (Español)
• The Person and Identity Project

Social Justice

• Catholic Social Teaching: USCCB Resources and Church Documents
• Online Course: Loving and Serving the Poor, with Fr. Mark Mary, CFR
• Catholic resources on racism

Suicide

• Book: After Suicide: There’s Hope for Them and for You, Fr. Chris Alar and Jason Lewis, MIC (Español)

Vocation Discernment

• Vocations Office for the Diocesan Priesthood
• Avow, discipleship and vocation discernment small groups for young women
• Melchizedek Project, discipleship and discernment for the priesthood groups for young men