Pastoral Care
What is Pastoral Care?
The ministry of caring resides at the heart of the church's life. At Holy Communion, pastoral care includes celebrating life’s joys and sharing life’s sorrows.
Pastoral care includes hospital visitation, counseling, and ministries of shared presence, listening, and support. Pastoral care is coordinated by the clergy and also includes parish ministries of laity who respond to human need.
On this site you will learn about the ways Holy Communion seeks to serve through the ministry of Pastoral Care.
Prayer List
To add or remove someone from the prayer list, please contact the office at office@holycommunion.net
Clergy Visits
At Holy Communion, the clergy are committed to visiting anyone who lets us know they need a visit. If you end up in the hospital, or unable to get to church, please let us know. One of us is always “on call” and you can get the emergency number by listening to the message from our office line 314-721-7401.
Additionally, clergy make time to meet with folks one on one. We’re happy to talk, to offer informal spiritual direction, and prayer. We can also offer the service of “Reconciliation of a Penitent” (popularly known as “Confession”).
The clergy at Holy Communion also have a great network of referrals. We, ourselves, are not trained Social Workers or Therapists; but we do often make referrals to trusted colleagues for that kind of help.
Lay Eucharistic Ministry
Holy Communion has a team of trained lay Eucharistic Visitors to bring the sacrament of Eucharist to those who are hospitalized, homebound, or in nursing homes. Those engaged in this ministry are licensed by the bishop after completing special training. Lay Eucharistic Visitors ensure those who are home bound receive Communion once every four to six weeks.
Meal Ministry
Did you know there is a group of people ready to make dinner if you’re unable to cook for yourself for a period of time? Holy Communion members who are sick, recovering from surgery (or the birth of a child) or homebound are invited to get in touch with the parish office, and we will alert the coordinators and our meal volunteers. You can also get in touch if you’d like to help cook. Read a list of tips from some of our experienced food ministry volunteers.
House Blessing
Occupying a new home can be a joyous occasion. The clergy are available to help sanctify your new home by offering a blessing on behalf of the church.
Thanksgiving for the Birth or Adoption of a Child
The clergy are always delighted to come to the hospital the day of or after childbirth, or to a home soon after an adoption, to offer a brief service of thanksgiving. It is particularly appropriate to include any siblings and close family members in this joyous occasion.
Faithful Action
At Holy Communion we are committed to engagement in the community outside our walls. We gather from time to time around issues of justice for all of God’s people. We commit to reflect on the issues and our involvement in light of the Gospel, helping us to deepen our faith and to live it in all aspects of our lives.
Community of Hope (COH)
The purpose of this team of lay ministers is to “serve others through compassionate listening.” The Holy Communion Community of Hope ministry team is highly trained and commissioned to visit people from all walks of life: those in prison, nursing home communities and anyone in need of someone to listen. COH is not just for Episcopalians, they offer a listening presence to anyone. Holy Communion currently has three active COH members.
The Community of Hope ministry visits those in prison through the Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS). PVS is a national organization that provides social visits to people incarcerated in federal and military prisons all over the country. To learn more, visit www.prisonervisitation.org.
Get in Touch
Contact a Member of the Clergy if you or someone you know is in need of pastoral care.
Any clergy member can connect you to the right ministry. We rely on you to let us know when you need a visit. Click here for the Clergy and Staff directory. In case of emergency, call the parish office (314) 721-7401 and listen to the message for the phone number of the priest on call.