We were created for community by a God, who is a relational being. He knows that we function best when we are surrounded by others who care for and support us. As our hearts are restless until they rest in Him, similarly, we seek friends and family for love and support in our lives. An active parish community gives us a place to find that support and fellowship with others who share our faith and values.
With a host of service and community ministries available at Our Lady of Lourdes, one place where many ladies in the parish have found this friendship is in the Altar Guild. This ministry for women serves many different roles throughout the parish. But the women who are a part of the Altar Guild know that they have a home within the community and a place where they belong. One way that they experience the support of the parish community is through the Altar Guild’s Prayer Card Committee.
“We send get well cards and sympathy cards to members of the Altar Guild when they are sick or if they have lost a close loved one,” says Mary Lou Clarkson, Altar Guild member and chairperson of the Prayer Card Committee. “We also have a Mass said for them here at the parish and send a Mass card as well.”
If a member of the Altar Guild passes away, the ministry sends the sympathy card to one of their surviving family members, whether that is a spouse or one of their children.
“We think it is very important to reach out to others and let them know that we are thinking of them and praying for them during this difficult time,” Mary Lou says.
In turn, Mary Lou keeps a record of all of the cards she sends and shares the names of those who have received cards at their monthly meetings. This gives the other ladies in the Altar Guild the opportunity to reach out in support of their friends individually, as well as keep them in their own prayers.
When you are sick, injured, or grieving, it can be a very lonely time in your life. That is why having a supportive community is such an important aspect of your life. A kind word of support in a card lets people know that the community of the parish is there for them and that they are not alone or forgotten in this difficult time that they are experiencing.