Pastoral Care
BEREAVEMENT
Grief support and resources available through our Pastoral Care Coordinator. Grief Support Group offered twice a year.
Funeral Lunch Ministry
Nine groups of parishioners from The Church of St. Mary provide cookies or bars and set up and serve funeral lunches. Needs include kitchen help, servers, and volunteer bakers. Volunteers from each group coordinate the funeral lunch.
Lay Pastoral Caregiver
Work with our Pastoral Care Coordinator to visit and bring communion to the homebound.
Nightingale Tribute
The Nightingale Tribute is a brief inserted ceremony performed by nurse colleagues during a deceased licensed nurse’s memorial, funeral, or graveside service to honor him or her for selfless service to others. The tribute offers fellow nurses an opportunity to commemorate and recognize their colleague’s work while recognizing the nurse’s unique contributions and service to saving lives. This program is two-fold: 1) spreading the word to families of deceased nurses of this program offering; and 2) recruiting interested nurses (retired or working) who would like to be a part of the Nightingale team for the Alexandria area.
Pens and Pals
Recognizing the need to offer inclusion in Adult Faith Formation to parishioners with disabilities, Pens and Pals is a ministry intended to love and serve persons in our faith community with disabilities by creating a trusting partnership between all abilities of adult parishioners. God wants our lives to overflow with mercy, love and compassion. The Pens and Pals outreach program will engage parish volunteers in partnering with persons with disabilities in a variety of any-age, any-ability activities. This ministry is intended to provide friendship and inclusion to our parishioners with disabilities; and build a bond between parishioners of all abilities. “Whatsoever you do to the least of your brothers and sisters you do unto me” (Matthew 25: 40).
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Mission: To convey a tangible expression of God's peace and love through the gift of a shawl, knitted or crocheted with prayer.
Programs
Health Care Directive
A health care directive is the plan you make for future health care. It is sometimes called an advance directive. In this plan, you explain your treatment choices. You may also name a person to make these choices for you if you can't make them yourself. This person is your health care agent.
For more information please call Kathy Fischer at (320) 808-7968.
Kathy is a certified advance care planning facilitator.