Last updated on August 8, 2022.

Please Note:
We intend to offer the Surviving Divorce support group again, but our recent efforts have still been focused on getting the parish "back to normal" after the pandemic. Our Pastoral Associate, who runs the support group, has been communicating with other group facilitators and Archdiocesan resource personnel to make the Surviving Divorce program (see below) more accessible and to train additional program facilitators. This training is scheduled for late September.

Please check back here for updates. In the meantime, if you are in need of support or want someone to talk to, please contact our Pastoral Associate, Joel S. Peters. He can be reached by phone at 201-337-7596, ext. 315 or by email here.

Be sure to look at the resources below under the Documents and Resources and Recommended Reading headings.

Surviving Divorce is a 12-part video series that was created to bring hope and healing to those who have experienced the pain and loneliness of a broken marriage. It is for the newly separated and divorced as well as those who may still be struggling with issues many years later. It will help them find answers to their questions, restore hope, and begin authentic healing. Participants will find comfort and counsel consistent with the Catholic Church’s teachings. They will also find strength and reassurance by hearing about and sharing others’ journeys and struggles.

The series was developed by and is hosted by Rose Sweet, a Catholic author and speaker who has herself gone through divorce and an annulment. For more than 25 years she has ministered to divorced and separated people who face the trauma of their broken relationships. Surviving Divorce features five experts:

Dr. Ray Guarendi, a clinical psychologist, marriage and family counselor, author, speaker, and father of ten children.

Fr. Donald Calloway, M.I.C., whose own mother was divorced. By the time Fr. Donald was ten years old he had had three “fathers.”

Fr. Steve Porter, S.T.L., a seasoned spiritual director for more than 20 years.

Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., biblical scholar and regular EWTN guest. He is fluent in twelve languages.

Christopher West, an expert in the Theology of the Body, speaker, and author.

The series also includes the personal testimonies of twelve Catholic men and women who have experienced the breakdown of their own marriages and families. They courageously share their stories with heart, humor, insight, and wisdom. As they witness to their pain and the healing power of Christ in their lives, viewers of the series will laugh, cry, and identify with their journeys from heartache to healing.

Surviving Divorce will help you:
+ work through the emotional upheaval of separation and divorce
+ find personal healing and hope
+ discover a deeper understanding of God's love for you
+ gain wisdom and comfort from experts and others who share your experiences
+ navigate new concerns like custody, court hearings, and finances

The meeting format involves a 30-minute video segment on a range of topics followed by 75 minutes or so of discussion, reflection, sharing, and mutual support. Confidentiality is very important to the dynamics of this support group, so it will be maintained at all times. The meeting space and format are designed to be more on the intimate side to foster an atmosphere of trust and comfort.

Registration includes a suggested donation of $15.00 for the participant manual. All other items for the course are free.

For more information about the series and support group, please contact our Pastoral Associate, Joel S. Peters, at 201-337-7596, ext. 315 or by email here.

For additional information about separation and divorce, please consult the various resources linked below under the Documents and Resources heading.

For those people who are considering getting married again, understand that you cannot be married in the Catholic Church if your first marriage is still held to be valid according to canon law (Church law). You would need what is called a declaration of nullity in order to be married in the Church. In brief, a declaration of nullity is the Church’s way of acknowledging that one or more of the essential elements of marriage as the Catholic Church understands marriage were missing from the very beginning of a marriage and hence it was invalid and never truly a sacramental one. Thus, it is not binding until the death of one of the spouses.

It is beyond the scope of this page to get into the details of the annulment process (which establishes whether or not a declaration of nullity can be issued), so for more information on this process, please visit the Newark Archdiocese’s Metropolitan Tribunal webpage, which can be found here.

You can also read the document below titled “Marriage Annulments: Questions & Answers”, which was taken from the Newark Archdiocese Metropolitan Tribunal’s webpage.

A Road to Healing: Daily Reflections for Divorced Catholics by Lisa Duffy
Divorced. Catholic. Now What?: Navigating Life After Divorce by Lisa Duffy and Vince Frese
Daily Inspirations for Divorced Catholics by Vince Frese
A Woman’s Guide to Healing the Heartbreak of Divorce by Rose Sweet
Rebuilding After Divorce: Making Your House a Home by Rose Sweet
Healing the Divorced Heart: Devotions for Hope and Encouragement by Rose Sweet