“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be.” (1 Peter 5:2)
Pastoral care is a ‘ministry of being, not merely of doing’ – being with and listening to people in their times of confusion, joy, pain and recovery. Along with Pastor, Pastoral care is the responsibility of all Christians and a good lay pastoral care team should enable effective development of pastoral care within a parish. Potential team members need to be equipped for this work.
Some of the important pastoral care ministries in our parish are:
- Hospital Visits and Visits to Local Lifecare Facilities
- Communion to Shut In Members of our Parish
- Compassionate, understanding, instilling hope and encouragement to those in need.
- Celebrate Mass at Senior Residence, Assisted Living Facilities and Hospice
- Journeying with the families of the deceased from our Parish.
Our mission to care for others is best summed up in the prayer of St. Theresa of Avila.
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.