The Sisterhood of Widows
The Sisterhood of Widows is an online support community created by Mary Francis—widow, author, coach, and certified grief recovery specialist—to help you feel heard, understood, and less alone as you rebuild your life after loss. The organization focuses on recovery and healing rather than grief and death alone, offering compassionate support from widows who truly understand.
Support Offerings
The Sisterhood of Widows—Private Group for Widows
A safe, women-only private Facebook community where widows of all ages and all widow types gather to share, support, and encourage one another. Members discuss coping with anger, guilt, loneliness, and life rebuilding questions. The group welcomes widows regardless of when they were widowed, the circumstances of their loss, or their marital history. No men are admitted to this community.
Format: Virtual (private Facebook group)
Cost: FREE
Platform: Facebook Group — https://www.facebook.com/groups/978959175474991/
Blog Archive—15 Years of Grief Support Writing
An extensive archive of Mary Francis’s writings spanning 2010–2025, containing guidance, encouragement, and personal insights on widowhood. This preserved collection remains available as a resource to return to whenever needed. Topics include healing after loss, dealing with difficult emotions, rebuilding life, and understanding the widow journey. While the blog no longer includes new posts, the entire archive is freely accessible for ongoing support and learning.
Format: On-demand (online archive)
Cost: FREE
Platform: Online Archive — https://www.sisterhoodofwidows.com
Additional Resources
Primary Resources and Contact Information
The Sisterhood of Widows—https://www.sisterhoodofwidows.com · Main website with blog archive and group access information
About The Sisterhood of Widows
The Sisterhood of Widows was created to address a critical gap in grief support services: the unique and often isolating experience of widowhood. Founded by Mary Francis, who was widowed at age fifty, the organization began with a mission to help widows feel less alone and more supported as they navigate the complex journey of grief and recovery.
Mary Francis brings both personal lived experience and professional expertise to this work. She is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist and Early Intervention Field Traumatologist who has dedicated her career to supporting widows around the world. Her approach emphasizes that grief is emotional, not intellectual, and that all feelings associated with loss are normal and natural. She rejects harmful myths about grief—such as the notion that time alone heals all wounds or that grieving people should simply stay busy—and instead offers practical, compassionate guidance grounded in the widow experience.
The Sisterhood serves widows of all backgrounds, life stages, and circumstances. Members include young and older widows, those newly grieving and those widowed for years, widows who plan never to remarry and those who are actively dating or remarried. Widows welcome include those widowed by cancer, accident, suicide, and other causes; those from perfect, struggling, or difficult marriages; and those in legal marriages, common-law partnerships, engagements, or same-sex partnerships. This inclusive approach recognizes that widows are a diverse group with unique but equally valid experiences.
The Sisterhood offers two primary support channels: a women-only private Facebook community where members share small victories and difficult days, offer encouragement, and provide practical tips for handling paperwork, holidays, and everyday life after loss; and a preserved blog archive spanning 2010–2025 containing years of Mary’s writing on grief recovery, healing, emotional processing, and rebuilding life. Both resources are free and available 24/7, ensuring that widows can access support whenever they need it.