From Sorrow to Joy: An Orthodox Christian Approach to Suffering, Illness, and Grief

How do we, as Christians, confront suffering with faith and hope in Christ? This course explores the human experience of suffering—spiritual, physical, social, and psychological—through the lens of Christian faith, drawing from Orthodox theological and liturgical traditions.

We will reflect on grief, despair, and healing, examining how the remembrance of death—an essential Christian practice—can be distorted by modern anxieties about mortality. We will also explore the role of faith in medical decision-making, particularly in Palliative Care and Hospice, and consider practical ways to offer compassionate care to those who suffer.

Rooted in Scripture and the wisdom of the Church, this course will provide theological insights and practical guidance for facing suffering with courage, caring for others in times of grief, and deepening our trust in God amid life’s greatest challenges.

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Course Information

Professor
Sarah Byrne-Martelli, D.Min., BCC-PCHAC

Dr Sarah Byrne-Martelli is a Board-Certified Palliative Care and Hospice chaplain with over two decades of experience providing spiritual care to those facing serious illness and grief. She is the author of Memory Eternal: Living with Grief as Orthodox Christians (Ancient Faith, 2022) and is endorsed as a chaplain by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese.

Dr Byrne-Martelli serves as Assistant Professor of Spiritual Care for the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program at St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. She is also a faculty member of the Harvard Medical School Center for Palliative Care, where she conducts funded research on the integration of spiritual care in Palliative Care. She is a sought-after speaker and leads national parish workshops on spiritual care, lay ministries, and grief support. She also co-hosted the Ancient Faith podcast The Wounded Healer: Visiting Christ, Visiting the Sick, Visiting Ourselves and serves on the Board of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion (OCAMPR).

She holds a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Harvard Divinity School. Dr Byrne-Martelli attends St Mary Orthodox Church in Cambridge, MA, with her husband, Dr Peter Martelli, and their son, Rafael.

Course Description

Live sessions: Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. EST (April 1, 8, 22, 29)
Access: March 25 - May 31, 2025
Course cost: $200

This is a non-credit and non-transferable course. This online course includes 4 live discussion sessions with the professor (Q&A), 4 pre-recorded lectures, 4 presentation slides based on the lectures, and optional reading material, as well as the recorded live discussion sessions. The live discussion will take place via Zoom every Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET (April 1, 8, 22, 29). You will have access to all the course material from March 25 - May 31, 2025.

Discussion Sessions: ~ 45 minutes each, including introduction, asynchronous material review by the professor, and Q&A (you will be able to submit your questions to the professor before each Zoom live discussion session).

Important: After registration, please note that the course will be available from March 25 - May 31, 2025; during this time you will have access to all the lectures, slides, and reading material, as well as the recordings of the live sessions after they are completed. You will need the username and password that you created to log into the course.

There will be no refunds after March 24, 2024.

This is a wonderful opportunity to hear from and work with the dynamic faculty of St Vladimir’s Seminary.