Health Matters & Pastoral Care
Communion at Home or while in Hospital
By the Rev. Dorothy Curry, Associate for Pastoral Care
Do you know that St. Paul’s has eight dedicated lay ministers who can bring Holy Communion to you, your family and any member of the Cathedral family who is shut in, either temporarily or permanently?
They are called Eucharistic Ministers. (Some parishes call them Eucharistic Visitors, but we have another group called Cathedral Visitors, so that doesn’t work for us.) The E.M.s, as we’re more informally known, go out two by two, taking turns each Sunday after either the 8 or 10:30 a.m. services. You often see a team in the sanctuary just before the blessing holding a travel communion kit being blessed and sent by the presider of the Eucharist, extending the life of the worship service to those who request home communion.
How can you avail yourself of this ministry? Simply call or e-mail The Rev. Dorothy R. Curry (760- 519-7383 revdrc@cox.net) or Nan Slavin (619-540-1932 usdgrad@aol.com) our Cathedral Nurse. Tell them of your need (or your loved one’s.) A Eucharistic Ministry team will call and arrange a time convenient to you. They will come to you or a loved one in the home, hospital or an Assisted Living Center. They have been through a training program to launch them in this pastoral ministry.
Most asked question: If I have a Lay Eucharistic Minister come, does that mean I don’t get a visit from a priest?
Answer: Not at all. Our faithful priests are on call 24/7. This is merely an added service available to you. It allows you to receive the comfort of the Sacrament on a regular basis, just as you do when you are able to come to the Cathedral.
