We, the Holy Name Parish Community, as the living Body of Christ present today here in Sheridan, Wyoming, have a special opportunity for Lay participation in Ministry. There is clearly a significant part of our Parish Community who are no longer able to go out of their homes to go to Mass on a regular basis; we wish to assure these folks that they remain an important part of our faith community.

The Care Ministry of Holy Name was established as a team of caring volunteer ministers who address the need for visiting the homebound, whether they are still in their own homes, in the hospitals, or are in our nursing homes. It is their privilege to bring Jesus to the homebound through visits and by bringing the Holy Eucharist to these special parishioners.

There are three different levels or types of care that are ministered:

1. Home Visits and Phone Visits
2. Visiting with Communion
3. Bringing Communion Weekly

The Care Ministry goes out to Parishioners in......

2 Hospitals:

Sheridan Memorial
Veterans Administration

Beehive
Sheridan Manor
Westview

3 Senior Housing

Heritage Towers
Sheridan Square
Sugarland Ridge

and to

31 Private Homes

Of the caring persons doing the visiting of the shut-ins, most are commissioned as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Most visitors would be asked to visit only one shut-in regularly. However, there are some situations where merely a weekly or biweekly visit or telephone call would be sufficient. Other situations might call for just a weekly run to the grocery store or to the doctor. These last cases could be visited by someone who is not commissioned to bring Holy Communion.

As of March 1, 2006 we have a total of 74 parishioners willing to do visits; we have also 82 who are in need of being visited. An effort is made to best match Visitors with those needing visits.

All of our Visitors are required by the diocese to have a Background Check and attend the diocesan Safe Environment Workshop. Of the 74 offering to do home visiting, 33 have received their necessary Background Checks due to their involvement in other Parish Community programs. Only 19 of the volunteers have gone through the Safe Environment Workshop. It is somewhat easier to provide Background Checks than it is to provide the Safe Environment Workshop. In order for these Volunteers to be functional, both requirements must be fulfilled.

We have 82 on our list of people To Be Visited. Little by little, we will be matching Visitors with those needing to be visited. Also we are in the process of handing out Background Check applications and hope to soon get more of our Visitors through the Safe Environment Workshop. We hope to have the Safe Environment Workshop on video format soon, so that we will be able to more easily meet this requirement.

Fr. Ron Stolcis and Kathy Jutz will be overseeing this ministry and Gene and Ellen Greene are managing the paperwork for this outreach program. Kathy Jutz is experienced in presenting the program called “The BeFriender Ministry Program.” We will offer evenings of Visitor Training and Updating. We plan on having quarterly “brush-up” evenings too, for further learning and for evaluations. We have also prepared a Prayer Leaflet so that all the Visitors would do similar Communion Services for those they visit.

Please pray for the success of our new Outreach Ministry.

For Jesus said:

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest of yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

For further information about the Care Ministry of Holy Name or to sign up someone to be visited please contact: Fr. Ron Stolcis, 9 S. Connor St, or call 672-2848, ext 13.