I had never heard of such a role before; certainly it isn’t one that is instituted by the Church. I did some Googling though and found this explanation of a parish nursing program (click on the tab marked “About the Nurse Ministry”) in one parish. So long as it is understood that such a service is a personal ministry offered at the parish level and is not an “office” that bestows “status” within the hierarchical structure of the Church – and so long as the medical information and services offered are in conformity to Catholic doctrine, discipline, and medical bioethics – it sounds to me to be a fine program that has the potential to benefit vulnerable members of a parish community.
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