Bereavement Ministry -

Volunteers provide and serve a luncheon in DeSales Hall following a funeral. This is done gratis and gives the family of the deceased some peace of mind at a time of distress. This is coordinated during the Funeral preparations. 

Sometimes, even prayer and the sacraments don’t seem to be enough to help us through the challenges of life. To serve our parishioners in this regard, Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church provides the opportunity for them to seek emotional and psychological counseling on-site from an experienced professional.

Contact: To schedule an appointment, call Catholic Charities, Family Services Department, 703.425.0109 (specify if you would like to be seen at OLGC). Most major insurance plans are accepted; sliding scale is available.

For questions about counseling at OLGC or to request a consultation, contact Christine, at 703.859.3147.

Catholic Charities seeks to implement the Church’s mission of social justice in the Diocese of Arlington in ways that strengthen individuals, families, and communities.

Catholic Charities extends its services and resources to all in need; convenes the Catholic community to fulfill the Church’s mission of social justice; and advocates for social justice and seeks to empower others to do the same.

Contact: Email 703.841.3830 or visit website for list of services

Divorced & Catholic, Now What?

A six week program that addresses concerns of divorced or separated Catholic men and women. It offers much needed support and helps to answer questions.

The sessions will take place on Tuesdays 9/14 to 10/19 from 7 pm - 8:30 pm via Zoom. Topics include Prayer, Grief, Healing, Forgiveness, Letting Go, and Hope.

Texts to purchase:

1) The Joy of You: Your Life After Divorce by W.E. Rabior

2) Divorced. Catholic. Now What?  by L. Duffy & V. Frese

(To purchase these texts, click on each title. This will take you to Amazon.)

Dates: Tuesdays 9/14 to 10/19

Time: 7 pm - 8:30 pm

Location: Zoom. Details will be emailed to you after registration.

Contact: John Heard (OLGC Parishioner)
Signup Form

Gabriel Project gives assistance to any pregnant woman in need: emotionally, mentally, financially, or just in need of a friend!

Contact: Email 703.841.2755 or visit website for info

The Ministry of Care includes taking the Holy Communion to the elderly, the sick and the infirm. It involves sharing in prayer and the word of God during these visits.

Visit the Ministry of Care webpage for info.

Fairfax County Programs for Family Caregivers

The Ministry of Compassion (grief Support) is a group to support you and others who have lost loved ones.

Have you lost a loved one? If you, or someone you know, is grieving the loss of a loved one, and would like to join with others to talk about your feelings and your journey, please consider joining a bereavement support group being jointly offered by St. Mark Catholic Church and Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church.

We will be presenting a 9-week program that addresses many of the issues faced by those who are grieving. The volunteer facilitators will guide the participants through readings, exercises, prayers and sharing.

The program begins on Sunday, August 22, and will run through October 24 (skipping Labor Day weekend, Sept 5). We will meet on Sundays, from 3:30pm to 5:00pm, in the St. Mark Church lower level in Room C104. 

If you have questions, or wish to sign up, please contact Ms. Sarah Kirk at skirkbtr@gmail.com, or phone/text her at 703-403-3072.

Project Rachel is a ministry to help post-abortive women and men to heal from the damage suffered through abortion.

Contact: Email 888.456.HOPE or visit website for info Men's Post-Abortion Helpline 703.841.3833 info@helpafterabortion.org

The OLGC Conference of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul helps people in need in Vienna and surrounding communities in Fairfax County.We offer assistance and support for people struggling financially due to circumstances like poverty, unemployment, or illness. We provide help with rent, utilities, food, and other basic needs. We also provide referral assistance to free and low-cost resources in our area. And, we are available to meet with you in person to offer friendly support and to see if there are other ways we can be of help.

If you need help, please leave a message on our helpline 703.938.3210, or contact us by email. One of our volunteers will get back to you as soon as possible.

HELPLINE NUMBER: 703.938.3210 or Visit the St. Vincent de Paul webpage for info.

“Please know how deeply grateful I am for your response to my request for help with my health insurance. Your kindness made a huge difference in our lives.” - from a receipient

Saturday Morning Respite Program

The Shepherd’s Center of Northern Virginia (SCNOVA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has been dedicated to improving the quality of life as we age, through supportive programs and services, personal enrichment and volunteer engagement that enable our senior neighbors to live full and productive lives while aging in place. Our 250+ trained and vetted volunteers are medical and companion transportation drivers, friendly callers and visitors, handy helpers, health care advocates, and lifelong learning, and cultural enrichment enthusiasts. This volunteer engagement network offers stability, encouragement and hope for connected and healthy lives. 

Our focus is to alleviate isolation and loneliness by raising awareness of who we are and what we do in the community. Connecting adult children, friends, and neighbors of our seniors with our programs, services and volunteers will bring peace of mind that their loved ones have the opportunity for social interaction and engagement. We are actively reaching out to our veteran population through our Friendly Caller/Visitors program in an effort to make veteran-to-veteran connections. This chance for engagement increases a sense of well-being and offers care and friendships to our growing client population. We are actively recruiting volunteers and clients in our service areas of: Oakton, Vienna, Reston, Herndon, Great Falls, Dunn Loring and Merrifield.

Contact: office@scnova.org, 703.281.0538