The most effective and sustainable forms of mutual care in a community of faith are rooted in common prayer and shared worship. A community shaped by the self-giving presence of God at the Eucharistic Table is inspired to reach out to others in the community to join in their joy or to accompany them in their sorrow or distress.
Some forms of pastoral care require particular training (such as the kind that leads to becoming a Lay Eucharistic Minister) and some situations call for the presence of ordained clergy. Overall, however, a vibrant congregation is a dynamic community of care marked by open and transparent communication, ongoing forms of collaboration, and relationships informed by genuine compassion.
Here at All Saints’ we cultivate such care by reaching out to each other in a variety of ways, three of which are these: “Blessings Bags” are delivered to newcomers, those unable to leave their homes, or those who are ill; “Calling Circles” help to ensure that no one remains isolated or lonely, especially in the cold winter months along this lakeshore region; Eucharistic Communion is offered in homes by the clergy.
Pastoral Care Contacts:
Dcn. Francis Berghuis – brfrancisobl590@gmail.com – 616-403-6556 (mobile) – 269-857-5201 (parish office)
Margaret Mason – margiemason43@gmail.com – 216-702-6040 – 269-857-5201 (parish office)
“A blessing of these years is the freedom to reach out to others, to do everything we can with everything in life that we have managed to develop all these years in both soul and mind for the sake of the rest of the human race.”
— Joan Chittister, The Gift of Years