Mission Statement
Holy Family Pastoral Care ministers to the elderly and sick members of the community with dignity and respect, offering compassionate care and encouraging a sense of belonging and connection to the Body of Christ through Eucharist and the people of God.

Caring With Faith: The Catholic Perspective on End of Life Decisions.
Caring With Faith is a annual seminar for all adults dealing with aging parents, grandparents and one’s own aging process. Take time to reflect and pray over tough decisions about end of life issues. Our Catholic faith gives us the strength to look honestly at all experiences of God’s creation. Illness and death are part of these experiences. We believe that if we take time to prayerfully prepare for these events in our lives and in the lives of those we love, we will be more peaceful and able to respond in a way that celebrates the gift of life given to us by our loving God.

Our Holy Family Mission Statement suggests that we connect our faith with life. The purpose of this evening is to help begin a conversation about these very important issues. Msgr. Connolly speaks on the spiritual insights of caring for loved ones who are aging and in the dying process. Fred Seymour, Esq. speaks on the practical and legal issues on regarding end of life concerns (i.e. living trusts, Durable power of Attorney). Stella Mora Henry, R.N. is a nationally recognized expert on aging, care giving and compassionate care for Hospice patients. She speaks on the end of life issues as it relates to Hospice Care.

About Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care brings Church to people. It brings a sense of connection and belonging to the elderly and sick, allowing them to make a meaningful contribution to society. Over 100 volunteer Eucharistic Ministers and Friendly Visitors are assigned to the homebound and hospitalized who are interested in having regular visitors. In many cases, strong personal ties develop and the volunteer becomes an integral part of the person’s support system – interacting with family and caregivers, running errands and providing transportation to the store, the hair salon, the pharmacy and to medical appointments. Senior citizens desire and cherish trusted companions who consistently visit and care about them.

What We Do
We take an intergenerational approach, stemming from the idea that “friendship is ageless.” Small groups of grade school students regularly visit local facilities. They participate in art programs and interact with the elderly. Students journal about the special relationships and experiences they share with their aging friends who happily pass down stories of their life wisdom with unconditional love. We coordinate hospital visits by students and volunteers, and send flowers and cards on behalf of the community. The lesson in this approach is that it is not in receiving, but in giving that we find the greatest joy. Here, we find the true meaning of Eucharist – gifts are reborn connecting the young and elderly.

Pastoral Care offers seminars for senior citizens and their families throughout the year to discuss topics of importance, such as long-term care insurance, health and nutrition and financial planning. We want to recognize and cultivate the experiences of the elderly to discover and identify areas of concern for them.

The Director of Pastoral Care welcomes inquiries from anyone interested in serving in this ministry, as a Eucharistic Minister or Friendly Visitor.

Monthly Mass Schedule
Prospect Manor: 1st Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.

The Elderly and Sick in our Community
To notify us of someone in the parish who is elderly or sick, please follow these procedures:

• Call the Pastoral Center Monday – Sunday if the person needs to be visited by a priest.
• You will be asked a few important questions by the staff  person  answering your call, as a form must be filled out. Hospital? Home? Communion? Person's home address and phone? Parishioner or not? Elderly? Name on intercessions?
• Please ask the staff person to notify Mary Ternan.

• Eucharistic Minister for Pastoral Care
• Friendly Visitor for Pastoral Care