Our Lady of Good Counsel’s Ohana ministers: front row, from left, Sylvia Lee, Fe Bartolome, Lita Olegario, Msgr. Thaddeus Mercado, Rose Domondon, Dr. Amelia Jacang, Tessie Kalawa, June Casupang and Victor Casupang. Back row: Donna Imbo, Gloria Duro, Bernadette Cabe, Kalo Lilomaiva, Tim Swartz, Kristi Ah Mook Sang, Paia Ah Mook Sang and Julie Cho. Missing: Deacon Tom Miyashiro and Leilani Swartz. (Photo courtesy of Elaine Okamoto)
“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Answering the call to minister to disabled and elderly shut-ins in the Pearl City area, 18 parishioners of Our Lady of Good Counsel were installed into the parish’s new Ohana Ministry to the Homebound Oct. 5 by parochial vicar Msgr. Thaddeus Mercado.
Those confined to their homes, whether due to age, illness or disability, are still a vital part of our parish family, even though they are unable to attend Mass, receive the sacraments or participate in church activities. Reaching out to them, our ministers, several with the gift of a second language, including Tagalog, Ilocano, Visayan, Samoan, Korean or pidgin English, will make periodic visits to residences and care homes with friendly follow-up calls as needed.
The Ohana Ministers will visit Catholics or non-Catholics upon referral or request. They will be a link between the homebound and the parish through spiritual care and social interaction.
Spiritual care includes bringing the Word of God, praying the rosary, sharing the church bulletin, or simply making their hosts feel the presence of Jesus through kindness and compassion. Being alert to their concerns and attentive to their likes and dislikes by careful listening, “talking story” and sharing talents will help ease the loneliness and abandonment their newfound friends may be experiencing.
The involvement of other parish ministries with the visitation group, whether through prayers, referrals or other ways, is being encouraged and is already taking place. Our Lady of Good Counsel’s perpetual adoration ministers have started to pray for the success of the Ohana Ministry. And arrangements with the parish’s eucharistic ministry will ensure that the Precious Body of Christ will be brought to the homebound when requested.
Parish school and religious education students will write letters and make favors for the holidays and throughout the year. The parish outreach ministry will prepare food baskets for the holidays. Christmas caroling is also being planned.
The combined efforts of the parish ministries, together with the support of the parish ohana, will provide the homebound with an experience in God’s abiding goodness.
In preparation, the homebound volunteers attended a June workshop by Project Dana, a statewide volunteer caregiving network program that provides various services to the frail elderly and disabled.
Since our ministry cannot assist the homebound with all the activities of daily living, referrals will be made to agencies such as Catholic Charities Hawaii, Meals on Wheels and Project Dana that are trained and equipped to assist them.
In addition, these agencies and others have offered periodic training sessions to help members of our Ohana Ministry to the Homebound further develop their caring skills.
As the older adult population in Hawaii increases, so does the need for compassionate care and attention for those who feel abandoned or forgotten.
As members of the Body of Christ and as followers of his teachings on the corporal works of mercy, let us continue to remember, pray for and assist the sick and homebound in our communities.
