By Jill Bednas, Minister for Growth & Engagement
Like many of you I’ve been trying to figure out how to manage home and work life in this pandemic world we now live in. I’ve been thinking about how parishioners will stay connected to the church, especially if they do not have, or do not “do email”. In consultation with Father Chris, I have been reaching out to our eldest members without email and calling them to check in and let them know while our doors are physically closed for service, our hearts and minds are open, and we are doing church via internet and smart phone.
My hopes for calling were to provide a few words of encouragement, maybe even a morale boost.
It turned out to be so much more! I found it to be quite uplifting to hear their cheerful voices. I was surprised by the positivity and the calm that received me on the other end of the phone.
I’ve been so inspired by these conversations. “Don’t worry about me, worry about those that need it.” And, “There are lots of younger people out there who are worse off than me,” per our 97yr old. Another woman (94) told me to just, “Pray for this whole mess.” She sounded fantastic, she was in great spirits and I asked her how she does it and she said, “We can’t do anything about it, so just sit back and make the most of it”. God Bless her, no panic in that voice. She’s coping wonderfully. We could all learn from that.
When I asked one man how he stayed so positive he said, “Well… I just keep walking out to the mailbox every day, and I tell all my friends to keep the cards coming.”
We plan to reach out to every member through phone calls to each household. Our callers will continue to reach out to those who are feeling alone and isolated on a regular basis. If you would like to help make calls and serve in this capacity, or for questions, please call (630) 779-6866 or email me.