As our population ages, care facilities have emerged to meet the daily needs of residents who are no longer able to live independently.
While care facilities provide the physical care needed by their residents, religious organizations are an important component for meeting the spiritual needs of residents who can no longer attend religious services. As a result, Catholic residents in these communities are largely separated from the Eucharist and the Word of God.
That problem is being remedied by a group of Catholics from several Saginaw Parishes who got together and formed a ministry to bring Christ to residents in many of the Saginaw area care facilities.
This organization is known as Senior Living Eucharistic Ministry (SLEM). It organizes volunteers and matches them with care facilities to schedule monthly visits to residents of these care facilities. As Jesus sent his disciples two by two, SLEM volunteers go in pairs to health care facilities and provide a service of Word and Communion, (USCCB, Revised 2024).
Facilities will tell you who is Catholic for distribution of Communion, but no matter what faith group does a service, every resident has the right to attend the service. These services bring comfort and spiritual nourishment to the residents who take part. While ministering with SLEM at a care facility you may not be ministering to the relative, neighbor, or friend you know, but another SLEM team is visiting them as you visit their loved ones.
By joining SLEM, we can expand the number of care facilities that can have regular services for their residents. You can help us reach more seniors than individual parishes can do on their own. It only takes one hour a month to be on a two-person team to visit one of the facilities. All of the readings, prayers, and resources are provided on the SLEM website. And training is provided.
If God is touching your heart and calling you to minister to those who are separated from the spiritual nourishment of their parishes, please call me at (989) 859-7417 or John Kehrer (248) 520-7248. We look forward to hearing from you.