From the Dean
Pastoral Care at the Cathedral by Scott Richardson
As churches grow, pastoral care becomes one of the most important and difficult ministries. Smaller churches seem to manage this part of their life easily and naturally; the clergy and congregants know the community’s needs and they tend to them directly. In a larger church, this level of familiarity is rarely possible. In these cases, the staff and the people of the church are required to work with more focus in order to achieve their common goal – loving care for all of God’s children in their time of personal need.
I am delighted to report to you that our pastoral care team at Saint Paul’s Cathedral has expanded considerably in the past year. I want to take a moment now to tell you about the good souls who stand ready to help and then let you know how to ask for the assistance you need.
Nan Slavin, our Cathedral Nurse, is with us fifteen hours a week and brings both nursing and pastoral counseling skills to those benefited by her expertise.
Gerry Walcutt, our Canon for Pastoral Care, provides support and counsel to our Health Cabinet and has been very active in our ministry to homeless people.
Jim Carroll, our Dean Emeritus, offers pastoral care to those people who have been members of this congregation for years and have long-standing relationships with him and the cathedral.
Milton Collins, our Associate for Pastoral Care and a retired Navy chaplain, visits the hospitalized and homebound.
Dorothy Curry, a priest residentiary and the former director of pastoral ministry in Encinitas, will be coordinating our program for Lay Eucharistic Visitors.
Jim Ewing, a Methodist minister, is the director of the San Diego Pastoral Counseling Center housed on campus and a skillful therapist, teacher and facilitator. Jim is also, along with Gerry Walcutt, resurrecting our Cathedral Visitors program to the lonely and homebound.
Our Sub Dean Emeritus, Lee Teed does deep and holy work with couples who intend to get married. Leigh Jacobson, the chaplain at Saint Paul’s Senior Homes, coordinates his ministry with ours for the good of the residents.
Phil Darby, our Executive Assistant, gathers up the prayers of the community for daily intercessions and Sunday worship. All of your clergy offer pastoral direction and counseling by appointment.
Two elements make this system work – the willingness of the people listed above to offer their talents and your willingness to ask for the help that you need. Many of the people I’ve named here are wonderfully intuitive but none of them have ESP; help can only be made available to you as you allow your needs to be known. The best way to do that is to call the front desk during office hours (619.298.7261) or the cathedral pager at other times (858.637.1301).
May God bless you in heart, mind, body and soul – and further bless you with caring support when that first hope fades for a moment.
Scott Richardson
