by Brad Heidrick
“Jesus sent out the twelve, instructing them. . . . ‘Cure the sick . . . without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.’” — Mt 10: 1,5,8
Two thousand years ago, as he established the Catholic Church, Christ began his healing ministry — first curing the sick himself, then sending the apostles forth to do the same. Throughout the centuries that have followed, many great saints of the church continued this healing ministry. In our own ministry, we often look to the wisdom of Mother Teresa, who, like us, was committed to caring for the elderly, infirm, sick and dying. “Prayer in action is love, love in action is service,” she said. It is a blessing to answer this call to service each day, through skilled nursing care, hospice care and in-home care.
Bringing Christ to those that we serve is a key part of our mission. At Villa St. Francis, we are surrounded by the sacraments, through daily Mass and the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament in both our Villa St. Francis chapel and Our Lady of Grace Hospice House chapel. We are lifted up by the prayers of our residents in their devotions and daily rosary, as well as the prayers of the Sisters that begin their daily shift with a visit to the chapel. Our hospice chaplains and volunteers bring the love of Christ with them as they serve those in their final days and their loved ones, bringing prayer and solace to those experiencing the challenges brought on at the end of life. This is at the heart of our ministry; faith isn’t simply infused into our mission, it is the foundation on which it is built.
As our ministry and the need for it continues to grow, we need still more people to join us in bringing the love of Christ to those who need it most. If you’re a nurse or CNA seeking a way to infuse your career with your Catholic faith, there is a place for you at Catholic Community Health. Not only is your faith an integral part of your work life, we also have amazing opportunities to expand your career potential through training and advancement. Many of our leaders started with little to no experience, and have flourished.
As we seek to continue Christ’s call to heal, we hope to expand our team to include more people who are passionate about living out Mother Teresa’s call to put the love of Christ into action; learn more on our website at: Catholiccommunityhealth.org — we would love to have you join our team.
