In the past year we have lost quite a few ministers due to age and illness. We now have approximately 16 ministers. We visit clients weekly in their homes and in several nursing and retirement homes: Lytton Gardens, Palo Alto Sub-Acute and Convalescent Home, Channing House, Vi Living, Sunrise, Palo Alto Commons and Avant.
Most of our individual clients are long term but we also visit parishioners who are home bound for short periods of time due to illness, surgery and cancer treatment, etc. We are always happy when they get back on their feet and can attend mass by themselves. We are there for clients who are in the process of dying and in need of comfort and prayer. Our ministers get to know our clients well and there is good bonding and friendship.
In nursing and retirement homes we visit individuals in their rooms and/or lead group communion. At Vi Nursing Care and Palo Alto Sub-Acute and Convalescent Home we have mostly convalescent clients and have to work with the activity directors to identify the Catholics who want communion.
We can help arrange priest visits for anointing or confession. We send letters to families of recently deceased parishioners to help them in their grieving process. We have information on meals, transportation and home care for those who contact us about these services.
We also have an outreach service to reach out to parishioners who may be in need. We help them identify their needs and help them get support services. We keep a data base on various agencies in our area.
We coordinate the monthly masses at Lytton Gardens. The masses are well attended. We have the support of the staff and many volunteers help with the music, readings, set-up and bringing clients down to the mass location. We have a mass at Palo Alto Commons on a seasonal basis. The residents are very appreciative of this service.
We maintain the ‘pray for’ lists in the Sunday bulletin and send out weekly updates to the Prayer Circle by e-mail and bi-weekly by regular mail. The Prayer Circle has increased in membership and it is heart-warming to see the responses of the members to the weekly e-mails and their concern for our sick. We are very fortunate to have the prayer shawl group to provide beautiful hand knitted shawls blessed by our priests. They provide great comfort to the clients during their sickness when they are most in need of support and prayers.
We provide clients with At Home With the Word which have the Sunday readings and commentaries. We bring them the church bulletin so they can keep up with the parish news and events. We also provide them with the little books for the different liturgical seasons.
Our strength is in our dedicated and caring ministers and parishioners. We are supported by wonderful volunteers like our musician and Legion of Mary helpers at the masses.
Our weakness is in the lack of awareness regarding our services even though we are on the front page of the bulletin and regularly advertise our services in the e-bulletin and paper bulletin. Our volunteers and clients sometimes have set schedules so it is difficult to match clients to ministers and find substitutes when ministers go on vacation
We can be contacted by phone at (650)494-2496 X22 or by e-mail to Mary at [email protected]. Please contact Mary if you can help with this valuable parish ministry.