About this Presentation:
While life has always been marked by change and loss, nothing could have prepared us for the sudden loss of “life as we know it” and the suffering that we have witnessed as a result of the ongoing global pandemic.
In this program, Nicholas Collura, M.Div., considered experiences of grief in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, he helped participants to recognize and name grief in its many different forms, including anticipatory grief rooted in uncertainty, fear, and ambiguous loss, as well as collective "civic" grief for the suffering of our vulnerable world. Drawing on psychological, spiritual, and artistic resources, Nicholas shared insights regarding various means of coping with such grief and loss and concludes by inviting participants into a practice of self-compassion.
About our Presenter:
In addition to his work as a spiritual director and retreat director at St. Raphaela Center outside of Philadelphia, Nicholas Collura is a member of the Association of Professional Chaplains and works as a palliative care chaplain. He studied film and literature at Yale University and the University of Paris before earning an MDiv from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, where he also trained as a spiritual director. Beyond his work in health care, Nicholas spent three years of his life as a Jesuit on the West Coast, where he ministered on college campuses, in juvenile halls and state prisons, and at a L'Arche community in the Pacific Northwest.