Week of June 3, 2013
Prayer Requests
Pope Francis on
Caring
for Your Aging Parent
Dear Friends:
I was impressed and very pleased with what Pope Francis
has said about caring for the elderly. A recent article
featured quotes from "On Heaven
and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family and the Church
in the 21st Century,"
a
book based on a conversation with him when he was
head of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. Here are a few
quotes:
--"In this consumerist, hedonist and narcissistic
society, we are accustomed to the idea that there
are people that are disposable" [among them, the
elderly]. . . . I believe that today there is covert
euthanasia: Our social security pays up until a
certain amount of treatment and then says 'May God
help you.'"
--"There are many who abandon those that fed them, who
educated them, who wiped their bottoms. It hurts me;
it makes me weep inside."
--"God must be very fond of the old because those who
are pious with their parents are showered with
blessings."
--"I am beginning old age and I will not resist it. I
am prepared and I would like to be like a vintage
wine, not one gone sour."
You can read more
here.
- - -
Again this week we cordially invite you to join
the Friends of St. John
the Caregiver! (FSJC's programs include
YourAgingParent.com and
CatholicCaregivers.com.) You can find out more about
becoming a member here.
No meetings, no dues. All we ask is that
you pray for caregivers and those receiving care. Our members include
caregivers, care-receivers, and those who support both
(including quite a few former caregivers).
You can:
sign up on-line here
or call us toll-free at
1-800-392-JOHN (5646)
or
print and mail an application form.
God
bless you!
Bill
To
contact us
To
join
FSJC
To make a
donation
To view or make
prayer
requests
Materials
order form
Past
"Dear Friends"
letters
"Among Friends" quarterly newsletter
Weeks of June 10 and 17, 2013
Prayer Requests
Caring for Your
Special-Needs Child
Dear Friends:
It's understandable, but unfortunate, that the emphasis
on caregiving for an aging parent or spouse can
overshadow another truly heroic group of individuals who
provide care for decades. I'm referring to the
parents of a child with special needs. And, often, to
that child's siblings, both when they're youngsters and
when they're adults.
Sometimes that need is clearly visible, such as when
there's a physical problem. And sometimes it's nearly
invisible or unknown to others except for family and
close friends. That might include an emotional or mental
illness, for example.
The definition for "family caregiver" is broad and deep
because the variety of needs within a family are both
those, too.
If you're the parent of a son or daughter with special
needs, if you're that person's brother or sister,
grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other family member, we
want you to know that when we say members of the Friends
of St. John the Caregiver are praying for you and your
care-receiver we mean you. And we mean your
care-receiver.
You and your loved one remain in my prayers, too.
- - -
And speaking as
the parent of child with special needs . . . Years ago
Monica and I got to know the founder and director of the
Sibling Support Project. It's a wonderful service to
families! Our two youngest attended Sibshops and later
our daughter helped with the program. You can find out
more here.
- - -
This
week we're so pleased to welcome Blon M. from Indiana as
the newest member of the Friends of St. John the
Caregiver. Please keep him and his intentions in your
prayers. He has promised to pray for you and yours.
And we cordially invite you to join
the Friends of St. John
the Caregiver! (FSJC's programs include
YourAgingParent.com and
CatholicCaregivers.com.) You can find out more about
becoming a member here.
No meetings, no dues. All we ask is that
you pray for caregivers and those receiving care. Our members include
caregivers, care-receivers, and those who support both
(including quite a few former caregivers).
You can:
sign up on-line here
or call us toll-free at
1-800-392-JOHN (5646)
or
print and mail an application form.
God
bless you!
Bill
To
contact us
To
join
FSJC
To make a
donation
To view or make
prayer
requests
Materials
order form
Past
"Dear Friends"
letters
"Among Friends" quarterly newsletter
Week of June 24, 2013
Prayer Requests
Moving On, Step by
Step
Dear Friends:
I'm so
happy to report the
Spring-Summer edition of "Among Friends" -- the
newsletter of the Friends of St. John the Caregiver --
is now online.
It was a tough one to do because it was the first since
the death of Monica in January of this year.
I had been told, and I'm finding it to be oh-so-true,
that there are a lot of challenging "firsts" during the
12 months following the death of a loved one.
Compounding this time of grieving have been the deaths
of Monica's mom (Terry Faudree) on May 1 and my mom
(Margaret Dodds) on May 27. It was pretty tough on the
family to have all three women listed in the
newsletter's "In Loving Memory" section.
I'm convinced the prayers of others, including many of
you, have made a huge and wonderful difference as the
family and I continue moving on, step by step. My
deepest thanks for those prayers.
Be assured you and your loved ones remain in mine.
--Bill
- - -
Again
this week we cordially invite you to join
the Friends of St. John
the Caregiver! (FSJC's programs include
YourAgingParent.com and
CatholicCaregivers.com.) You can find out more about
becoming a member here.
No meetings, no dues. All we ask is that
you pray for caregivers and those receiving care. Our members include
caregivers, care-receivers, and those who support both
(including quite a few former caregivers).
You can:
sign up on-line here
or call us toll-free at
1-800-392-JOHN (5646)
or
print and mail an application form.
God
bless you!
Bill
To
contact us
To
join
FSJC
To make a
donation
To view or make
prayer
requests
Materials
order form
Past
"Dear Friends"
letters
"Among Friends" quarterly newsletter
