PASTORAL CARE is a rewarding experience for all

 St. Stephen's ​Pastoral Care Volunteers  work in several areas:
Communicators:
are members of one of St Stephen’s many groups who keep the team informed if a member of their group requires:
·         Addition to the prayer group list for the week
·         A card from our St Stephen’s Community
·         A visit from our St Stephen’s Pastoral Care Team
·         Holy Communion taken to the residence
·         Confession to a priest
·         Divine Liturgy – usually reserved for family members and for extraordinary circumstances.
If the Pastoral Care Team isn’t informed, there is a chance that they will not be aware of the need and therefore will not be responding. 
Please let us know:  
Parish Office:  403-249-4818 or Marilyn Comchi at marilyncomchi@shaw.ca  or 403-220-9624.
Visitors:
Are the members of St Stephen’s who visit people who are unable to attend church regularly. They keep in touch via phone and email and visit parishioners at home or in care facilities.  Some support Father Bo as he says Liturgy every Friday at Westview.  
Holy Communion Volunteers:
Have received instruction to prepare themselves to take Holy Communion to those who cannot attend church.  They work closely with Father Bo, Deacon Andrij, and the Lectors.
Volunteer Training:
The accredited course “May I Sit With You Awhile” will be offered in St Stephen’s Parish Centre on November 4 and 5.   
This program offered by the Calgary Pastoral Care Association will run Friday evening and all day Saturday.  All members of the Pastoral Care team are encouraged to sign up for it, and indeed all parishioners are encouraged to take it as all of us at one time or another will be called on to walk with people who are lonely and afraid.  Expect to hear more about this course and its partner “Accompanying the Grieving” in our bulletin.
St. Stephen Support Network Volunteers:
Ideally all St Stephen’s parishioners would be members of this network. 
As members of The Network when we become aware of a need within our community we look for a solution.  We’ve been in existence for almost 10 years and our strength is our life experiences. 
When some parishioners decided to downsize and move into smaller quarters they’ve found that one of their big issues was getting rid of “stuff”.  Des Peplinski stepped forward and helped match up people who needed items with people who had items to give away.
We have been asked to find a barber who would go into a hospital to tend to a parishioner, and we had someone there within a few hours later.  A young nursing mother with her first baby ran into some rather severe problems, and we were able to get her coaching almost immediately so that she could remain at home and avoid a possible excruciating wait in emergency with a crying baby.  We’ve supplied guidance to people worried about their next steps in life.  We received a call that a person in care had immediate need of a wheelchair with options different than the one available; we were able to respond very quickly and bring her relief.  We have been able to match people up with others who have dealt with similar issues and have provided gentle guidance.
We are in the process of creating an inventory of items that might be useful to parishioners.  Since we have no storage space at church for them, we are asking people to store them and we are keeping track of who has what.  If you have an item that you think may be of use and that you are willing to store until someone needs it, please let the team know about it.
How The Network Works
When a member hears of an issue, they consult the people they know who may be able to help with the concern, and if a solution is not immediately obvious, they then go to the membership at large by email, state the need and provide the contact information.  Then they keep tabs on the outcome.  To consult The Network or to become a member please contact St Stephen’s Office at 403-249-4818 or Marilyn Comchi  at 403-220-9624 or marilyncomchi@shaw.ca .
Administrative Volunteers:
Have indicated that they are willing to help keep all this straight and help us to remain organized and on top of things.  Some will work as a support team helping at times with special Christmas and Easter efforts. 
 
It should be noted that the wonder of volunteering with any of our St Stephen’s groups is that the volunteers themselves gain so many graces and blessings - one them being that we become more united with our church family through the strong attachments we develop with each other.
“This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you!”  John 15:12