Volunteers extend selves for others

And, just like a famous TV bunny that "keeps going and going," the ministry keeps growing and growing -- with no end in sight.

Kathleen Empie, pastoral associate for the parish's healthcare ministry, recruits and coordinates training for volunteers from St. Clement's and five other parishes. They make sure that elderly, hospitalized, institutionalized and disabled Catholics continue to receive pastoral services.

Scores involved

In addition, she said that St. Clement's alone has nearly 80 volunteers for that and other ministries. All six parishes in the North Country cluster have volunteers to visit nursing homes, senior housing and local hospitals to minister to the sick, the needy and the dying. The volunteers also host an annual retreat for those who are developmentally disabled.

The members of the cluster include St. Clement's and St. Peter's, both in Saratoga Springs, St. Mary's in Ballston Spa; St. Theresa's, a mission church of St. Clement's, located in Gansevoort; St. Joseph's in Greenfield Center; and St. Paul's, its mission in Rock City Falls.

Getting it done

"People here realize that if we don't do this work, it won't get done," she explained.

Volunteers for the nursing homes and senior housing are trained not only to distribute Communion but also to conduct communion services. She added that St. Peter's parish coordinates volunteer visitation to a facility that houses "bed-bound" patients of all ages, including children, teens and young adults.

"Our volunteers have established a remarkable relationship with the residents in these facilities, as well as the staff and administrations," she noted. "One of our parishioners at St. Clement's is wheelchair bound but gets tremendous satisfaction from performing such a ministry."

Parish nurses

In addition, the parish has recently established a parish nurse program.

"Currently, we have eight registered nurses who promote healthcare through blood-pressure screening clinics, professional healthcare advice and referrals," she said. "We saw a need in our parish for such a ministry for some of our parishioners that desire medical care at the parish level. You might call it healthcare with a spiritual slant. So far, it's been very successful."

Rosary Circle

"All six of our cluster parishes participate in this volunteer effort," Mrs. Empie said, adding that many of the residents in these facilities are elderly, and praying the Rosary is something they grew up with and missed.

"Basically, you could say that all of our healthcare volunteers are concerned primarily with meeting the spiritual needs, whatever they are, of the Catholics in the northern Saratoga County area," she indicated.

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