Dear People of St. James’,
As you read this, I will be leaving on a plane for sabbatical travels. I wanted to write to you though, in light of this past week and some of the difficult things we have been praying through together. In particular, I wanted to say a few things about pastoral care.
Recently, someone asked me about what “pastoral care” means, and I thought that was a great question. Pastoral care refers to the way the Church (not just the priest) shepherds (cares for, guides, tends and feeds) its flock. Many people, when they think of pastoral care, have the image of a priest, or perhaps a few parishioners, at the bedside of an elderly person in the hospital. This is certainly a critical part of pastoral care. Bishop Quin, back in his day, was known for visiting the hospitals on his way into the diocesan office in order to visit all of the Episcopalians registered. And woe to the clergyman who had not gotten to the bedside of his own parishioner before Bishop Quin!
Nowadays, hospitals won’t notify clergy when their parishioners are in the hospital, so it is important to reach out to the church office (512-926-6339; office@stjamesaustin.org). Your clergy and lay pastoral care givers at St. James’ want to be there for you and your loved ones in those critical moments. We will meet with you at the hospital at that ridiculous hour in the morning to pray with you before surgery. We want to ensure that you have the support network you need, so that you know that you are not alone. Be sure to reach out to the church office and let us know when you are having a surgery or if you or a loved one is in the hospital. You can also reach out to The Rev. George Porter directly at gporter@stjamesaustin.org. Even if you call after hours, the emergency pastoral care line (512-677-6991) will connect you.
The work of pastoral care goes far beyond the occasional hospital visit. A while ago, the community of St. James’ recognized that it would be important to train lay leaders in caring for the homebound and for people undergoing various types of transitions (heading off to college, having a new baby, finding a new normal in the midst of chronic illness, etc). Pastoral care involves prayerful support and accompaniment for people of any age who are, for whatever reason, “in it”, in struggle. We can also help you get connected with a therapist, a spiritual director, or grief and bereavement resources. The promise of the pastoral community is that we will walk with you, through the shadow and in the light of joy.
Between our clergy, our small groups, the Community of Hope, Lay Eucharistic Visitors, the Meal Ministry, and our prayer ministries (the prayer list, the Monday night intercessory prayer group, and the Friday online rosary group), the St. James’ community is working to become a community of care. May God continue to bless and guide as we build a community of care, which attends to the human dignity of every person.
Rev. Eileen
