Pastoral Care at the Cathedral

Pastoral care at the Cathedral is thriving; things are on track and moving forward!

Last year on April 21, 2024 the newly commissioned Pastoral Care Team, under the leadership of Rev. Areeta, was officially blessed. There were 6 people initially in the group. A year later, the number of members of our team has doubled! 

We make Eucharistic visits to mobility-challenged congregants in homes or care facilities. We lead a short communion service with Bible readings and prayers and end with a social visit. These visits generally last between 60-75 minutes.

When asked why she is part of our team, one member said that, for her, one of the missions of our church is to look after its own. The grey-haired amongst us are not getting younger! And we will all reach a point in our lives where we cannot attend the service and will appreciate a visit from someone who cares. For now, we travel in groups of 2 (like the apostles!) and go where we are needed, secretly hoping that someone will do the same for us when we are incapacitated.  

Another member of our team shared that during a period when she was unwell, she took the bread and wine and immediately experienced health and strength flow through her. She wanted to be part of a group that brought this kind of healing to others. 

For me, the time experienced in Eucharist visits is always in Kairos (special) time because they have been anticipated, even longed for. One blustery, miserably cold day last fall, two of us made a long trip on the R5 bus to visit a woman with mobility issues. She has been a long-time, devoted member of the congregation and greatly misses the Eucharist. She is very fond of Bible verses and, at some point during our visit, quoted: “where two or more are gathered in My Name, there I am.” At these words, an immediate rush of warmth seemed to enter the room. The grey dampness of the day evaporated; we all were uplifted and grateful to be exactly where we were.

Often after a visit, we wonder: who is helping whom?

The Pastoral Care Team meets on the first Sunday of the month from 12:15 to 1:30 pm in one of the rooms downstairs in the Cathedral. We check in with each other and share what has happened in our visits and then plan for the upcoming ones. Our hope is that each person on our list receives a visit once a month, but this depends on the availability of our team.

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If you know of someone who would benefit from the spiritual support offered by the Pastoral Care team, please be in touch with the clergy team at pastoralcare@thecathedral.ca. 

If you would like to join our Pastoral Care team, contact Areeta at areeta@thecathedral.ca.