Pastoral Care Ministry:
Companions on the Journey
In order to answer the question, “What would Jesus do?” it is probably
advisable to ask the question, “What did Jesus do?” Clearly there are
a myriad of possible answers to this question, but for our purposes,
one of the most simple answers is that Jesus accompanied and was elegantly
present to people who were in need, hurt or alone. It is in this spirit
that the Pastoral Care committee of Old St. Patrick's invites you to
consider joining us in our efforts to “Do what Jesus did”—be a companion
to one another on the journey!
Support in dealing with the grief experience is a valuable way of helping
yourself or someone you know. Support groups often provide an opportunity
for grieving persons to better understand the wide range of feelings
and behaviors associated with grief. More importantly, support groups
offer a safe place where group members come together for mutual support,
and to learn that their feelings are normal and that one need not be
alone.
We are looking for volunteers interested in helping us with the following:
Homebound and Funeral Support
Share the bread of life with someone who cannot come to church by visiting
and bringing the Eucharist to Old St. Patrick members in the hospital
or homebound.
Accompany family members in the wake of a death, i.e. attending the
wake; helping to facilitate funeral arrangements between the family
and the staff of Old St. Patrick’s; affording hospitality at the funeral
liturgy; following up with the family in the weeks after the death.
Ministry of Prayer
Every week members and friends of Old St. Patrick’s faith community call and ask us to pray with them in relationship to a particular dimension of their lives. The Ministry of Prayer group gathers the second Tuesday of the month to pray together for the intentions of our church community. This group has grown from hearing the needs of our church community on Sunday, to supporting individuals facing the devastating loss of a loved one and providing a more intimate connection to the church. Please send any prayer requests to Bernadette Gibson via e-mail at Bernadette.moore@oldstpats.org or call her at 312.798.2389 (prayer line) or 773.848.1868 (pastoral cell).
I’ve Been There; I’ll Be There
We are seeking people who have experienced a particular trauma, loss,
affliction or tragedy, and would be willing to accompany others who
are undergoing a similar trauma, loss, affliction or tragedy. The well
proven theory here is that, having ‘been there’ one is uniquely
capable of ‘being there’ for others. Experiences that may lend
themselves to this “I’ve been there—I’ll be there” expression
of Pastoral Care:
- Loss of a child prior to or after birth.
- Loss of sibling/spouse/parent
- Care-giving (i.e., elderly parent)
- Survival of serious illness
If you are interested in participating in this group, please contact
us by calling the Companions on the Journey number at 312.798.2389, 312.312.437.2115 (pastoral care cell), or
email Bernadette.Moore@oldstpats.org.
Or, by contacting Terry Nelson-Johnson at 312.831.9373 or terryn@oldstpats.org.
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