Praying Our Goodbyes: A Spiritual Companion Through Life's Losses and Sorrows » (Revised)

Joyce Rupp is well known for her work as a writer, spiritual "midwife," and retreat and conference speaker. A member of the Servite (Servants of Mary) community, she has led retreats throughout North America, as well as in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Joyce is the author of numerous books, including bestsellers The Circle of Life, The Cup of Our Life, May I Have This Dance?, and Open the Door.

With 250,000 copies sold, this new edition of Joyce Rupp's most popular book offers a fresh opportunity for readers to reflect, ritualize, and reorient themselves as they navigate life's inevitable changes.

Everyone has unique goodbyes—times of losing someone or something that has given life meaning and value. With the touch of a poet, Joyce Rupp offers her wisdom on "these experiences of leaving behind and moving on, the stories of union and separation that are written in all our hearts." Praying Our Goodbyes, Rupp says, is about the spirituality of change.

It is a book for anyone who has experienced loss, whether a job change, the end of a relationship, the death of a loved one, a financial struggle, a mid-life crisis, or an extended illness. It is designed to help readers reflect, ritualize, and re-orient themselves—to help heal the hurts caused by goodbyes and the anxieties encountered when one season of life ends and another begins.

Spirituality and Practice

Joyce Rupp is a very creative and enthusiastic resource provider whose devotional works always contain concrete spiritual practices, lively anecdotes, inspiring poetry, and thoughtful journal exercises. She has a special gift for reading her own experiences and finding intimations.