Tasks of Grief vs. Prolonged Grief Disorder: Pastoral Counselor Kevin Prendergast on Loss, Hope, and the Holy Souls

Son Rise Morning Show · Nov 5, 2026 · 7m

How do we distinguish between the painful, normal process of mourning and prolonged grief disorder? On The Son Rise Morning Show, host Matt Swaim welcomes back pastoral counselor Kevin Prendergast (licensed counselor and former seminary professor) to discuss mental, emotional, and spiritual health following the loss of a loved one. Prendergast dispels cultural myths about "instant closure," referencing C.S. Lewis’s A Grief Observed and psychologist William Worden’s "four tasks of grief." They explore how Catholic theology—particularly devotion to the Holy Souls in Purgatory…