Pastoral Care
Pastoral care at St. John’s covers a wide spectrum including the typical expectations of hospital visits and ministry at the time of death, but because of the involvement of many wonderful caring parishioners, pastoral care here goes much further.
St. John’s lives into our call to provide pastoral care by first being a loving community that responds to challenges of faith, life crises, and ordinary questions along the way. This may include phone calls to those awaiting surgery, meals for those who are bereaved, and visits to those who are homebound or in nursing homes. It may also include welcoming new babies, helping with decisions about family issues, and planning memorial services.
The role of pastoral care at St. John’s exists to care for the body and spirit of our church family and even reaches beyond, to those who may not have a church family. We strive to demonstrate that we are committed to sharing Christ’s love by supporting our members through joy, sorrow, illness, and other life events.
Contact: Joanne Tainsh at 401-246-1159
Visitations
The clergy of St. John’s provide scheduled visits to those who are in the hospital, living in an assisted living community, or who are homebound. The clergy attempt to see every person on this list as often as possible, but gone are the days when a hospital would call the parish to inform us of an admission. Due to privacy laws, area hospitals no longer provide information regarding parishioners unless specifically directed to do so by you upon admission. If you or a loved one are in the hospital, or in need of special prayers please contact us so that our clergy are able to visit you.
Contact: Joyce Marabello at 401-245-0688
Lay Eucharistic Visitors
Nearly every Sunday, trained Lay Eucharistic Visitors are sent forth with God’s blessing and the support of our entire parish family to deliver communion to those confined to home or hospital. The Lay Eucharistic Visitors ministry is vital to our parish and a special way for homebound parishioners to remain connected to the rest of us. This ministry does require some training from the diocese.
Contact : Joyce Marabello at 401-245-0688
Flower Rearranging & Delivery
Every Sunday the beautiful flowers carefully arranged by our flower guild are taken from the sanctuary, rearranged into several smaller arrangements, and taken to some of our parishioners who are living either in an assisted living facility or who are homebound by a temporary or long-term illness. To understand the beauty of this ministry is to see the face of the person to whom the flowers are taken.
Contact: Joanne Tainsh at 401-246-1159
Prayer Shawls
While every parishioner who experiences sickness, or loss, or some other difficult time in their life cannot always receive a hug from their fellow parishioners, they can feel the warmth of their loving caring community from a prayer shawl. If you enjoy knitting or crocheting, this ministry may be perfect for you. Volunteers create prayer shawls on their own schedule, but promise to pray for the person who will receive the shawl as they are creating it. The shawls are then blessed at a Mid-week Eucharist.
Contact: Joanne Tainsh at 401-246-1159
Transportation
If you or someone you know needs a ride to church this ministry can help. If you would like to volunteer as a driver, let us know.
Contact: Joanne Tainsh at 401-246-1159