Having trouble with volunteering at my parish

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Joan1969

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Hi everyone,

Just wanted to get some (name removed by moderator)ut from some CA members. I wanted to volunteer with my parish outreach (involving hospital visiting, etc), so I asked the parish office and got a contact name. I called to leave my name and number twice and have not received a reply (it’s been a good two weeks that I’ve been trying to reach this contact).

What would everyone else do? Should I try to find another opportunity elsewhere? Wait some more? Call again? It’s disappointing, since I would really be interested in this sort of thing and I’m not really sure where else to go to get involved in this particular way.

Thanks in advance to all who write back! 🙂

Joan
 
Perhaps the person is on vacation? I wouls contact the parish office again. Are you new to the parish? Sometimes people [volunteers] get very busy, especially juggling work, home life and volunteer activities. Summer time is a very hectic time, especially for those who have children [off on summer vacations]

That said, in our location in order to visit in the hospitals [as opposed to parish members who are home bound] is much more complicated than just being trained and approved by the parish. The Hospital has its own regulations and training. In the past, people could just go to the hospital and visit people…

With liability issues, privacy issues and a host of other legalities, etc. You need criminal background checks etc.

Even our parish has to perform background checks on every parent of a child in the parish school, every volunteer that works with children ad every volunteer that provides transpirtation or performs home visits.

Trainings are offered only a couple of times per year…

If it were me I would try to meet the person who heads up the ministry, find out where they need the volunteers - home care or hospital, nursing home - rides to mass etc. Ask questions about the time commitments and training requirements…

It is a very fullfilling ministry, you will be richly blessed, remember patience is a furtue and God will direct the path and open the doors…God Bless
 
Dear Joan,

Similar story to yours … what worked in my case was to make a third phone call, during which I stated, “Hello, I’m calling to volunteer for Eucharistic Adoration. I have already made two phone calls to the contact listed in the bulletin and the person I was referred to by the contact’s wife, left messages, and have received no answer. I would really appreciate speaking with someone this time.”

Besides making a third phone call attempt, you can continue to pray about the hospital visitation outreach to discern how strongly the Lord is calling you there, ask Him to direct your steps, and follow any inspiration of the Holy Spirit that you may receive.

With prayers for you,

~~ the phoenix
 
Maybe you could contact the hospital directly. I know of a local hospital who always welcomes volunteers, especially to rock sick babies when the parents can’t be there.
Something about that human contact helps them get better faster.
 
Hi Joan,
There have been some good replies to your post.
Be persistent, patient, and forgiving.
In order to be a lay hospital minister, you will need to be trained as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion (EMHC), yes?
After mass on Sunday, approach one of the EMHCs, and share about your eagerness and that you’ve wondered why you haven’t been contacted yet. You might be given some good insight or advice, as well as make a contact in the parish.
My advice is don’t call the hospital directly. There is usually a deacon or priest not attached to the hospital who is in charge of training and scheduling the lay hospital ministers.
 
since you ask I would give it more time. in my part of the world everything pretty much shuts down in July. I myself am out of state all month, most diocesan offices are closed, most people on year round contracts take their vacations in July, very few programs except the essentials are going on. One of those essentials is visiting the sick and hospitalized, so I would keep trying, because that is one ministry that should never shut down. It may be the coordinator is out of town but the secretary should have another contact if that is the case. You may not be able to train for this ministry until the fall, however, and that is likely to be what you will be told when you do speak to this person. I would give it another week, and try again beginning in August, and look out in your bulletin or parish website for announcements about training and orientation for various ministries.
 
Thank you for all the great replies!

I had considered the vacation possibility, though I do think that if someone is away they should change their answering machine message to reflect this. I feel I don’t want to “nag” the person over the phone, so I think I will give it a week and then call them one more time.

I didn’t want to call the parish office, since I don’t want to be seen as causing contention. On the other hand, this is an important ministry, so those who call about it should be answered in a reasonable manner. So that’s why I’m torn about whether I should really keep pursuing this, or just look in other directions.

As far as going with the hospital directly, I was more interested in a specifically Catholic outreach. I was looking at mentoring, but many of the organizations are secular, and seem to discourage religoius values, at least in an explicit way.

I hope that beoming a Eucharisitc Minister is not necessary, since I am not comfortable in going in that direction.

Anyway, I do, again, appreciate the time people took to give their opinions. If anyone else has some (name removed by moderator)ut, I’ll be back tomorrow.

God Bless,
Joan
 
I hope that beoming a Eucharisitc Minister is not necessary, since I am not comfortable in going in that direction.

Anyway, I do, again, appreciate the time people took to give their opinions. If anyone else has some (name removed by moderator)ut, I’ll be back tomorrow.

God Bless,
Joan
I don’t know what the hospital ministry covers in your parish, but if it includes bringing communion to the sick, yes you have to be a minister of Holy Communion and take whatever training is involved in your diocese. If it is visiting the sick, not so.
 
I am a member of a large parish. We have a “Befriender” training program that visit our sick, hospitalized, shut-ins, etc. They are also Eucharistics Ministers. Sister Marta is in charge. It isn’t something that you can just call up and offer and start doing right off.
Donna G
 
Yes, there is usually a process involved here. Most often those visiting at the hospitals and nursing homes are EMHC’s. But this should not stand in your way. If you are called to it, you should prayfully consider pursuing it anyway. Perhaps a call back to the Church office to let them know you have not been able to get in touch with this person?

Also, if you are looking into visiting the sick you might look into a lay apostolate that does that kind of work. The Legion of Mary is one that often does, and since their goal is to visit and pray with the sick, not necessarily bring them Communion, you may not need to be an EMHC for this.
 
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Reply With Quote
 
Hi to everyone.

Just to let everyone know, I did get a call back from the contact. Fortunately, the Eucharistic minister issue is not a problem in this case. So I am hopeful that this will turn out well both for me and anybody I can assist.

Special thanks to Debra for the Legion of Mary suggestion 🙂 . If for some reason my parish outreach can’t come through as I hope, I would keep it in mind.

God bless,
Joan
 
Boy, does this bring back memories!

Years ago my church issued a call for volunteers for various activities. I had been looking for an opportunity to do that kind of thing so I contacted the person in charge and when she eventually got back to me, she all but said, We didn’t mean YOU! (The congregation was very cliquish but I didn’t know it).

Needless to say, I never offered to volunteer there again, and found an outlet for my energy elsewhere.
 
Boy, does this bring back memories!

Years ago my church issued a call for volunteers for various activities. I had been looking for an opportunity to do that kind of thing so I contacted the person in charge and when she eventually got back to me, she all but said, We didn’t mean YOU! (The congregation was very cliquish but I didn’t know it).

Needless to say, I never offered to volunteer there again, and found an outlet for my energy elsewhere.
Dear Sandi:

I’m sorry that happened to you at that other parish. Cliquishness such as that has no place in the Body of Christ. I’m as upset that the Pastor allowed this to continue as I am that this woman felt that it was OK to mistreat a sister in Christ in that manner. The woman who did this to you may not have been aware of the damage she was causing, but the Pastor had to be aware of the damage this situation would cause to the flock entrusted to his care.

I’ve been in a situation where my Paster (now gone) encouraged a situation much like the one you described but even worse. He refused to allow me to be allowed to be used as a Lector in spite of the facts that I had once trained and assigned the Lectors for one the Masses at St. Ignatius Church on the campus of the University of San Francisco and that I really needed something useful to do (I’m poly-disabled, and it’s difficult to find things I can actually do because of my disabilities).

I can understand that you felt you were being rejected again. Having gone through it, I know how much that hurts. So, I really hope that’s not the case, and that, this time, your parish outreach program finds a place where you can serve.

If all else fails, there’s a Catholic Worker Community in Silver Springs and another in Baltimore:
catholicworker.org/communities/commlistall.cfm#MD
And Priests for Life - Parishes matched to Abortion Mills:
priestsforlife.org/mills/index.htm

I hope these aren’t necessary. But, I hope they help if they are.

Your Brother in christ, Michael
 
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