After Suicide: There's Hope for Them and for You

After i lost my friend to suicide in February 2020, i came across a live talk by Fr. Chris Alar on facebook. He happened to talk about his grandmother and her unexpected suicide. His talks and this book he wrote have helped me in so many ways during this time. This book is so valuable for anyone who has suffered loss, especially the loss of a loved one to suicide, because of the particular pains that we have to carry in thinking "what if?" or "what could i have done to prevent this???" these are things that have no definite answer and will always haunt us. But this book gives you true hope, the true hope that Christ brough to this dark world. As the title says, there is hope for us and for them. Fr. Chris helps you understand this all through Church teaching. The authors themselves are very loving and caring and have suffered the same types of loss. Please do yourself and the souls of your loved ones a favor and read this book thoroughly and pray for them always. God Bless You.

I think all who are suffering the loss of a loved one should read this book. I should have read it after my mom died 15 years ago of ovarian parataneal cancer, but it wasn’t available then. It’s helping me now.I bought it because my son had a professor take their own life recently, and I had been seeing this title on different websites, and I was wondering if it would be a good book for my friends,who have lived with the suffering caused by suicide. I’m really glad the Holy Spirit led me to it, for my own healing in processing my mother’s death and the grief that came with it.God’s love and Mercy are for everyone, even those who die by their own hand. They need our prayers for them. This book has inspired me to pray for them all and those suffering from suicidal thoughts.

This book is very enlightening and written very well. The author keeps it easy to understand and I think anyone who has dealt with suicide, especially with family members will find it helpful.

Very easy to read with very understandable explanations of the theology behind death, mercy, and eternity with a beautiful exposition on our prays being answered for our loved one’s instant of death. Not just for suicide survivors but for all of us who have experienced the soul crunching death of a loved one by any means. It’s a book of hope and love and understanding which those of us in deep grief are urning for.

I thought it would be nothing but a misplaced sentimental homage over the authors suicidal grandmother after the first few pages but the priest that he is stood firm. The book not only reminded me of the three suicides of people that I've known but it gave me some structured techniques for being a good friend and listener for potential suicides in the future. I really did not know what to say to people who hinted at suicide and similar to CPR training or rescuing someone drowning, I need to have some structured approach to dealing with the next person I meet whose contemplating suicide and this book served as a resource to that end.

So very helpful for people. God is good!!!!!

Beautiful reflection on our ability to pray today and always for the dead, especially those who have taken their own lives! God is good and out of our time! Pray and do not give up hope!

This ‘very good used book’ reeked of cologne. Returned for refund. Amazon needs to check for odors.

In line with the Catholic teaching, the book guides to spiritual comfort and healing.Highly recommend, moreover if you are facing such tragedy.

What's beautiful about this book is that the author explains well other questions of the faith when a loved one leaves us, not only when it's a suicide. It is important for us Catholics (or other denominations) to understand what happens to our loved ones and what we can do for them once they leave us to meet the Creator.....Excellent and profound book! I am glad I bought it.

This book is essential reading for anyone who is grieving for someone, whether or not they died through taking their own life. But particularly for relatives or friends of those who have died through suicide. We very recently tragically lost our 34 year old son in this way, leaving his wife, two beautiful and much loved children with a third due shortly after his death. This book has answered many questions for me, and has enlightened me to the timeless nature of God and His infinite mercy, and has helped me understand why my prayers now for our son are so important and how they can be so effective. As the book title says, it fills me with hope both for our son and for all of us left behind.This book was recommended to me out of the blue by someone who didn't know me and had been randomly offered the book by a stranger. I truly believe it was through God's Grace that I was led to this uplifting and healing work by Fr Alar and Fr Lewis.

As a Registered Mental Health Nurse of 31 years experience, I have read many books on suicide, none offer hope for the one who died, but this book is different. This book will grip you and you won't be able to put it down. I wept, I smiled, I even laughed, and by the end I was left feeling amazed and in awe at the Divine Mercy of Jesus for tortured souls whom everyone thinks are lost. In heaven (if we make it) we shall be completely blown away by the love, patience and Mercy of our heavenly Father. All hope is NOT lost! Thank you so much Father Alar and Father Lewis! Now I know that many of the patients I cared for who killed themselves and are not burning in hell but are burning with love for God in the ecstatic beatific vision of the Holy Face who saves and redeems.

Great up-to-date teaching on the the importances of keeping an open mind when someone close to you commits suicide. People who take their lives are most definite in either incredible physical or psychological or both. Judging them is God's work not ours.The book offers great incite into prevention as well as healing for friends and family of those who have found suicide to be the only recourse left to them.