Compiled from staff reports

Whether it is through parish ministries or outreach to marginalized populations, the Church has long offered care and support to those who are suffering, ill, dying, lonely, grieving, abandoned or forgotten.

And this year, from Oct. 16 to 22, the Diocese of Trenton joined the global Church in celebrating Pastoral Care Week and recognizing those dedicated faithful men and women who provide that care. This year’s theme, “Spiritual Resilience,” is a nod to one’s ability to recover from life’s most difficult challenges through faith – and with the support of pastoral caregivers.

Deanna Sass, director of the diocesan Department of Pastoral Care, stressed that recognizing spiritual caregivers isn’t limited to just one week – these men and women of strength are always in need of thoughts and prayers.

“It’s the kind of work that can drain you unless you connect to your own sources of faith and hope,” she said. “We have to keep their wells full, or they dry up. Part of this [pastoral care recognition] is to fill their well.”

To that end, the Department of Pastoral Care is hosting a Chaplain’s Appreciation Luncheon for chaplains of all faiths Oct. 27 at the Chancery in Lawrenceville.

In addition, Sass encourages anyone who may be interested in caregiving ministry to join the next pastoral care training program Nov. 12. “[Pastoral care] is not just to minister to the sick – but for anyone who needs the comfort of the Church,” she said, citing the jail, separated and divorced, and bereavement ministries as examples.

Stressing the importance of pastoral care, she said Pastoral Care Week throughout the entire month is “a way of raising awareness that 365 days a year, seven days a week, people in nursing homes, hospitals and the homebound are being cared for by people who are a reminder of the presence of God in midst of suffering.”

For more information on pastoral care training, visit www.dioceseoftrenton.org/pastoralcare.