Front row, left - right: Lucia Bianchi, Ruth Breslin, Etta Montano.

Second row: Anne Anastasio, Elaine Raush, Grace Mauro, Rose D'Esopo,

Virginia Smith. Third row: Jeanne Caldwell, Ag Falcone, Tony Anastasio,

Phyllis Rish, Judy Esposito. Missing from photo: Jeffrey Lizotte, Dottie

Malerba, Peggy Marlowe, Bob Daly, Harry Hill, Maria Johnson and John

Breslin.

Mission

The Health/Care Ministry program started in the parish in 1993. It embraces the church mission and concern for the spiritual well being, social, emotional and physical health needs of the individual and the whole family. The program is holistic in its approach and ecumenically focused. The ministry seeks to include representatives of all health professionals. The Eucharistic Ministers reach out to the homebound at home, hospitals, nursing/convalescent homes and assisted-living facilities together with all parishioners united to address the evolving and special needs of our human family (young, old, in between, those ailing in mind/body and /or seeking to learn and grow positive through life transitions). Its aim is to invite and engage all of us in supportive, preventive and education health promoting activities as we strive to live in the spirit of Our Lord Jesus Christ and in the service of God.

Objectives

To achieve the goals of the mission statement, our activities are divided into the following categories:

I. Supportive Service Activities

• Funeral representation
• Sympathy cards
• Provide meals to either the family after a funeral, during a parishioner’s discharge from hospitals or other facility, or on referral from the Pastor.
• Get well cards (from church bulletin, hospital, nursing/convalescent homes, or on referral from the Pastor.
• Continued home visitations and Eucharistic visits, or on referral from the Pastor.
• Healing Mass
• Blood Drive honoring former parishioner Nick Fanelli (usually held in October)
• Health Fair
• “We Care” outreach program cards easy-to-use cards for parishioners to identify spiritual and/or special needs
• Bereavement

II. Prevention Focused Activities

• Health notes in the church bulletin
• General adult health notes
• Maternal and child health-focused notes
• Pre-school playground: child/parent-focused to encourage further organization structure
• Participation with Liturgy and Baptismal committees on planning and anointing of the sick
• Founders and senior citizen luncheon held cooperatively with other church committees.

III. Educational Health Promoting Activities (2003-2004)

• Seminar on Long Term Insurance
• Update on health-focused legislation (state and national)
• How to lobby (Social Justice representative)
• Health focused community activities in the church bulletin
• Ongoing cooperation with other program initiatives.

Long Term Goals (2003-2007)

• To prepare and distribute an educationally-focused revision of the Health/Care Ministry Directory which could translate into a Church Ministries International Directory in conjunction with other program groups at the discretion of the Pastor.
• To address other needs as they arise and are identified by the Pastor and others.

How to join this Ministry

If you would like to join the Health/Care Ministry, please contact one of their facilitators: Grace Mauro (393-3026), Ruth Breslin (393-3370) or Phyllis Rish (393-1691).

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