the catholic community of st. francis of assisi
Ministering To All
“Whenever you are there for another person, a closeness is created. Person-to-person relationships have been scientifically proven to improve the physical, mental, and spiritual health of both people,” says Nancy Falanga, one of the ministry leaders for the Stephen Ministry at St. Francis. “However, it is never just the two in the relationship. The Holy Spirit is present, sending love and strength to both people. No matter whether the relationship is three months or two years, after spending an hour with another person, focusing all your attention on them, and being open to them, you walk away differently than when you went in.”
Stephen Ministries is an independent, not-for-profit Christian educational organization founded in 1975 in St. Louis. Its main activity is the training of Stephen Leaders who then train others in their congregation to be Stephen Ministers, capable of accompanying those who are facing some crisis in life. St. Francis’ Stephen Ministry is part of a worldwide caregiving network, offering empathetic listening, unconditional positive regard, and other resources and referrals as needed.
Volunteer Spotlight: Pam James
Pam James can weave, and not just a great story! Pam has been in Weaver’s Guilds, each with over 200 members, in three different states, Colorado, Texas, and North Carolina, and has been an avid weaver and mixed media artist for a long time. Every two years, there is a convention where she says, “Every well-known weaver attends and is probably teaching a class.” This past year, the convention was in Wichita, Kansas, where she entered a piece in the Mixed Media category and won 3rd Place!
How does this correlate to her work at St. Francis? She weaves her love of art with her leadership of the ‘Care for Creation’ ministry at St. Francis. “I’ve always been a bit of an ‘eco-freak,’” says Pam,” I grew up with the idea that you mustn’t waste. My sister-in-law is kind enough to call me resourceful, but I’m just cheap! I’ve always asked myself, ‘Why would I throw that away? I can use that.’” She exclusively uses ‘recycled yarn’ in weaving, embracing the ‘reuse’ principle of Care for Creation.
Ministry Spotlight: Alzheimers & Dementia
“It’s a safe place for them and, you know, it’s important for them to have that safe place to vent because it can be an extremely difficult journey.” This is how Kathleen Boate’, one of the leaders of the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers ministry, describes what the ministry does for those caring for others. What can be a frustrating, heartbreaking, and challenging experience, caring for a loved one or friend with dementia, this ministry helps by offering support for those caregivers.
Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. Some people with dementia cannot control their emotions, and their personalities may change. Dementia ranges in severity from the mildest stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning, to the most severe stage, when the person must depend entirely on others for basic activities of daily living, such as feeding oneself. Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia.
