Spiritual Care of Older Adults in Nursing and Other Residential Care Settings

At a pastoral level many of us are sensitive to the spiritual needs of adults  residing in Nursing Homes and other Residential Care Settings.

In recent years our  Diocesan Liturgy Commission has reflected on how parishes might support such adults  celebrate their  faith on Sundays.

More specifically the Commission has explored the possibility  of  suitably trained  Ministers of the Word who  are also Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion leading  regular Sunday morning Prayer Services in Nursing and other residential care settings.

As a diocese we recently sought approval for a related Lay Prayer Leader’s booklet from the National Centre for Liturgy.  Fr. Danny Murphy,  Secretary of the  Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s Council for  Liturgy,  has responded by querying if the Elphin diocese’s work in  this area could be taken up by the National Centre for  Liturgy with a view to publishing a Prayer Leader’s  Resource for all Irish dioceses early in 2019.

He has also queried if some of our parishes might be willing to pilot the Prayer Leader’s  booklet, i.e. between October and December 2018.

With Bishop Kevin’s blessing we are hosting two information meetings, i.e. one in each  end of the diocese, to offer additional information to  interested clergy, parish pastoral council members, existing  Ministers of the Word and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy  Communion and Nursing and other Residential Care personnel. 

The meetings will take place as follows:

  • 8 – 9.20 pm in Hannon’s Hotel, Roscommon on Wednesday September 19th .
  • 8 – 9.20 pm in The Library, Summerhill College, Sligo on Wednesday September 26th

All are welcome and we would particularly welcome participation on the part of older adults, Nursing Home personnel, clergy, Parish Pastoral Council members, Ministers of the Word and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist.

As with other pastoral ventures we would welcome support in encouraging participation.

For more information please contact Justin @ 087 6171526  /  [email protected]

 

Updated:  August 31st 2018