Virtually every family will encounter severe and/or prolonged illness of at least one family member at some time. To speak to the growing need for support for St. Joseph parishioners facing these situations, a support team is being formed.

Our Ministry of Compassion

Volunteers help with a variety of tasks. For example, to stay for an hour or two with the ill individual while care givers attend to personal matters, may stay the night to allow the caregiver undisturbed sleep, may shop for groceries for the family, fix a meal or perform other tasks needed to take part of the burden from the caregiver. Medical background is not necessary, only a loving and empathetic heart and hands willing to assist our brothers and sisters at a difficult time.

Holy Communion to the Sick and Homebound
Volunteers also bring Holy Communion to the sick. If you are interested to help, please contact Helen Campbell at 510-795-7958. She will provide training on a one to one basis as needed.

Funeral Hospitality
The team also provides hospitality following a funeral service or a memorial of a person’s life. There is no formal meeting of the funeral hospitality group but rather a sign up with indication of a willingness to provide refreshments or to serve the day of the funeral. Participants are assigned to a team so that requests for refreshments and/or service will, hopefully, not become a burden. All inquiries should be forwarded to Helen Campbell.

How to help

In helping these families we are putting into action the guidelines for living our faith given to us in the Beatitudes by Jesus Himself. Please contact Deacon Benjamin Lai at deaconlai@saintjosephmsj.org to become part of our Ministry of Compassion.