Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care is the unconditional caring response to meeting the spiritual needs of the lonely, the shut-in, the grieving, the imprisoned, the sick and the dying.

Pastoral Care volunteers bring Christ’s healing presence, peace and comfort through listening, praying and bringing of the Eucharist to those unable to attend Mass.

In addition to responding to the needs of our parishioners in their homes, our Pastoral Care Ministers also provide support to residents of Carewest Sarcee, Glamorgan Care Centre and The Manor Village at Signature Park.

If you know of any parishioners who are not able to attend Mass and would like to receive the Eucharist in their homes or if you are considering participating in this very rewarding and appreciated ministry, please contact the Parish Office.

WHAT IS NEEDED IS A PERSONALIZED APPROACH

to the sick, not just of curing, but also of caring, in view of an integral human healing. In experiencing illness, individuals not only feel threatened in their physical integrity, but also in the relational, intellectual, affective and spiritual dimensions of their lives. For this reason, in addition to therapy and support, they expect care and attention. In a word, love. POPE FRANCIS - 28th World Day of the Sick Message, 2020

Dear brothers and sisters who are ill, your sickness makes you in a particular way one of those “who labour and are burdened", and thus attract the eyes and heart of Jesus. In him, you will find light to brighten your darkest moments and hope to soothe your distress. He urges you: “Come to me”. In him, you will find strength to face all the worries and questions that assail you during this “dark night” of body and soul. Christ did not give us prescriptions, but through his passion, death and resurrection he frees us from the grip of evil. WORLD DAY OF THE SICK FEBRUARY 11

In your experience of illness, you certainly need a place to find rest. The Church desires to become more and more the “inn” of the Good Samaritan who is Christ (cf. Lk 10:34), that is, a home where you can encounter his grace, which finds expression in closeness, acceptance and relief. In this home, you can meet people who, healed in their frailty by God's mercy, will help you bear your cross and enable your suffering to give you a new perspective. You will be able to look beyond your illness to a greater horizon of new light and fresh strength for your lives. WORLD DAY OF THE SICK. FEBRUARY 11

A key role in this effort to offer rest and renewal to our sick brothers and sisters is played by healthcare workers: physicians, nurses, medical and administrative professionals, assistants and volunteers. Thanks to their expertise, they can make patients feel the presence of Christ who consoles and cares for the sick, and heals every hurt. Yet they too are men and women with their own frailties and even illnesses. They show how true it is that “once Christ's comfort and rest is received, we are called in turn to become rest and comfort for our brothers and sisters, with a docile and humble attitude in imitation of the Teacher” Pope Francis, Angelus, 6 July 2014 WORLD DAY OF THE SICK. FEBRUARY 11

Pastoral Care in the Calgary Catholic Diocese