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
- Calix Society, Catholic spirituality recovery groups for struggles with alcohol addiction
- 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
Bereavement and LOss
- Office for Life and Family Bereavement Resources
- RedBird Ministries for parents grieving the loss of a child
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)
- Resources and Guidelines from the Office for Divine Worship
- CREDO, St. Benedict Press, for Christian Initiation (OCIA)
- Symbolon, on Formed.org
Disabilities
Divorce, Separation and Other Family Crises
- Surviving Divorce, Ascension Press
- St. Raymond Nonnatus Foundation
End of Life
- Life-Affirming Choices, presentations and videos
- National Catholic Bioethics Center
- Terri Schiavo Life and Hope Network
Infertility, Adoption 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
- 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
- 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
Post-Abortion Healing
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
- The Person and Identity Project
- Video: The Third Way: Homosexuality and the Catholic Church, Blackstone Films
- A Catechesis on the Human Person and Gender Ideology, Diocese of Arlington (Español)
- Documentary: Dysconnected: The Real Story Behind the Transgender Explosion
Small Group Leader Trainings
- ReviveParishes course, “Create Life-Changing Small Groups in Your Parish”
- FOCUS Equip training article: Leading a Transformative Bible Study
Social Justice and Catholic Social Teaching
- Catholic Social Teaching: USCCB Resources and Church Documents
- Online Course: Loving and Serving the Poor, with Fr. Mark Mary, CFR
- Retreat: Life as Christ: Catholic Social Teaching Retreat
- 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