Sunday ALF Ministry - What's Happening?

Magnolia Manor residents gave me a hard time because I was "at the beach" for the July 4th weekend; they said they didn't know I was gone, but wanted me to tell them all about it. I told them Father Malley was taking a 3-month sebatical  and we said a prayer for him.

I visited the "reminisce (Alzheimer's) unit at Brookdale and visited Cliff and Jim 's room because they usually cannot make it to the activity room where we have a 5-minute service. Jim, who has been there since I started almost 2 years ago, was gone; Cliff didn't know where. I gave Cliff communion. He grasped my arm and told me how grateful he is that 'people like me' come to visit him. Very touching.

The service to the Brookdale' ALF residents went smoothly and after the service was over, I told them a joke (about the man painting the ceiling of the chapel who decided to have fun with the lady praying the Rosary).  We usually have 3 or 4 Protestants in attendance so I had prefaced the story about how some Protestants believe Catholics pray to Mary rather than praying to God. The story was well received and I believe, a good way to remind everyone we are Christians

I left my home at 7:00 AM (to attend 7:30 Mass) and was home by noon. I five hours I gave about 35 communions and blessings to another 15 Christians. 5 or 6 nurses-attendants normally listen in. In 5 hours, I touched the lives of more than 50 senior citizens, all of them God's children. This was a rewarding day.

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This is my weekday ministry, probably typical of what is done by Catholic parishes throughout the country. I attend 9:00 AM Mass to get the Pyx/Eucharist blessed and to pray that I will be a worthy messenger of God's Word.

Brighton Gardens has a large ALF section, Skilled Nursing and a Memory unit. Another Eucharistic minister does the ALF residents, I do skilled nursing and the memory unit.

The skilled nursing is a one-on-one ministry with new people every week.  I found 4-5 in their rooms, but nost are in the activity room or re-hab. There are two women, Susan and Betty,  that have been there for 18 months; neither can speak and sometimes they don't open their eyes, but they hear me.  They stir when I say the Lords Prayer, ask them to stay close to the Lord and pray, and give them a blessing. Sometimes I believe they are the primary reason I'm there.

I hear it all. Some are so thankful that I visited; others could care less. One man today was playing dominoes and didn't want to be bothered. Three women, Christians, but not Catholic, were happy to pray with me and receive a blessing and tell me that they pray to the Lord every day. I offered a blessing to the 5-6 physical therapists in the re-hab room and one man agreed they needed it. It's surprising how many nurses-assistants and therapists pray along, or listen, when we say the Lords Prayer.

Today was a very sad day, and a happy day, for me in the Alzheimer's unit. Bob Goodman passed away Sunday. This is what I told the 15 or so residents gathered in the music room. My father, and brother, are named Bob Goodman, so this man was special to me. We mourned his passing and prayed that he has been accepted into God's Kingdom, and is now in a better place, praying for us as we pray for his soul. Most of the people did not remember Bob, but almost all of them have faith and understood that Bob went to a better place, at least I believe they did.

I gave Communion to about 10 Catholics and blessings to 40 or more residents, most of them Christians.

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Brookdale communion services consist of two parts; the Reminesce or "memory unit" and the Alf where most residents are still mentally healthy and able to get around without help. Some are on wheelchairs.

The memory unit was bedlam. I prayed with, and gave communion to, Jim and Jeff in their room (Jeff is new and sooo thankful that I come each week). I went to the TV room where 15 (all religions)  or so are gathered. I usually put the cross and candle on a table, kneel and say the Lords Prayer, before offering communion to the 2 or 3 Catholics. Half the residents pray with me. This week the head nurse wasn't there to turn off the TV and the other two nurses were in a loud discussion. The vacuum cleaner was running and everyone was talking. I found one Catholic lady, prayed with her, gave her communion and managed to interrupt one of the nurses to unlock the door and so I could leave. It wasn't pretty, but part of the job. It makes us remember how blessed we are.

My ALF service starts at 11 AM, immediately after a 9:30 - 11:00 AM Protestant (?) service that features a lot of singing and Bible reading by a couple of very nice ladies from a small church. They have been doing this for 5 years and have a good repertoire with the residents. About half of the people stay for my "Christian service, with communion offered to Catholics. 5 or 6 Catholics join the group. We had 13 this week, ten of whom took communion. I keep the liturgy and Homily brief because some have been sitting for an hour or more and I only have 30 minutes.

There are a couple of sharp people in their group who ask questions that I'm not qualified to answer. I point out to them again that I'm just a Eucharistic Minister and that a Priest or Deacon would be more qualified to answer their questions. Unlike the ladies before me, I don't give my own homily, but only repeat what I heard at this mornings mass.

It' a fun group and we finish just before the dining room doors are opened at 11:30 for lunch. A couple of the women still wait for me to pack up my cross and candle, and leave. It's a habit they have followed all their lives.

I'm home by noon, unless I stop at Publix. Five hours. That's all it takes to touch the lives of 40-50 Christians that can no longer make it to church on Sunday. Why won't more Parishes offer this opportunity?
 

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Following is a News Release, published in late November, 2015. I was disappointed in the lack of response from Parishes, including my own.

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                   One Catholic Church is doing more for Senior Citizens!

Pope Francis ended a three-week synod on family issues by delivering a speech Sunday Oct. 25, 2015) in which he used the story of Jesus and Bartimaeus (Mark: 46-52) as an analogy warning church elders against exclusion of those deserving of God's grace.  As Jesus and his disciples left Jericho for Jerusalem, Francis said, Jesus was the only one among his entourage who stopped to address the blind man's cries. None of the disciples stopped, as Jesus did, they continued to walk, going on as if nothing were happening. If Bartimaeus was blind, they were deaf; His problem was not their problem.

Are we blind to the spiritual needs of our senior citizens living in Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs)? They can’t get to church, but still have spiritual needs, now, more than ever. A Catholic church in Lutz, Florida, is doing something about it. Communion services are offered at two ALFs that allow Catholics to pray together and receive Holy Communion, on SUNDAYS.

Why Sundays? Because the Catholic Catechism says; “The Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s life (Paragraph 2177). Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church)”.

“Catholic churches have sent Eucharistic Ministers (EMs) to ALFs on weekdays for many years,” Jim Plautz, a Eucharistic Minister who does both, says. “Weekday visits are good, but it’s not the same. We can do more to help the Catholics that are not physically able to attend Sunday Mass. Priests and Deacons are busy on Sundays, so we asked, why not train EMs to offer a brief Communion Service on Sundays? We decided to try it at two locations and the feedback has been gratifying.”

Betty (78) – “It's almost like being in church. This is my family now.”

Mrs. Sandusky (88) – “I know he isn't a Priest or Deacon, but I like to receive Holy Communion on Sundays.”

Mrs. Caputo (85) – “I've attended church on Sunday for 75 years. I appreciate your coming here.” 

At each ALF, 10-15 Catholics pray as a group, listen to the liturgy and a synopsis of the homily given at Mass earlier that day/ EMs do not interpret scripture, but only convey the message given by the Priest or Deacon at the morning mass). The highlight of the service is Holy Communion. Blessings are offered to non-Catholic Christians that attend.  

Jim says, “weekday visits are primarily one-on-one. Sunday services are more about building rapport and creating a family environment. Praying ‘together’ is the key. “The Sunday service is more gratifying,” Jim says. “All ALFs with more than ten Catholics that cannot make it to church should be provided this opportunity. I pray that our success is a beacon for other Parishes. Sunday services help ALF residents to maintain their faith at a very challenging time in their spiritual lives.” 

Catholics in Lutz, Fl., living in ALFs, can now celebrate the Eucharist on Sundays; they are no longer being marginalized.  Pope Francis should be pleased.

Please email Jim if you are aware of any Catholic Church that is providing ALF seniors the opportunity to pray together, and receive the Eucharist, on Sundays. Refer to Jim’s website if you have questions about how to get started at your ALF.

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Written By:

Jim Plautz,

EM Jim.Plautz@verizon.net

www.SundayALFMinistry.org

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