BeFriender’s Ministry
We have reenergized the Befriender Ministry here at St. Bridget of Sweden.
Befriender Ministry is a lay pastoral care ministry offering a listening presence to others. Lay people have been trained to provide this essential care to people in our community who are sick, homebound, or struggling in some way. This ministry is expanding our community's capacity to reach out to others with the healing love of God.
Each Befriender is trained to be a caring listening presence to others in our parish community. It is about Caring not fixing others. It is about Listening not giving advice. It is about giving someone time to tell their story. It is about Loving not judging.
We currently have 14 trained Befrienders who are actively bringing the presence of Christ to others as they visit people in our community. Thank you for your prayers for these enthusiastic, committed, and loving members of our parish community.
Congratulations to Betty Fabbre for completing a Pastoral Care Training class with Pastor Ron Gerl who is the Chaplain at Parmly Lifepoints. Betty has been serving our community as a Befriender for 3 years. She has been bringing the listening heart of Christ to a number of individuals with great compassion and faithfulness. This training was a further step for her to develop her skills and deepen her faith. She has been a tremendous asset to our Befriender Ministry, and will continue to be a sign of God’s caring presence in our midst. Thank you Betty!
New Befrienders
Congratulations to Glen Allen, Eileen Hoffman, & Lucy Zierke who have all completed Befriender training this month. They are ready to join our Befriender Ministry bringing their caring, listening presence to our parish community. We are grateful for their dedication, commitment, and for the spirit of love they bring to us. Blessings as you begin this new adventure in faith.
Pictured l-r back: Bob Selby, Joe Kuschel, Kate Banse, Dorothy Goodroad, Karen Green, Heidi Gieske, Jennifer Velaski;
l-r front: LaVern Bell, Rima Kawas, Joyce Fults Missing: Betty Fabbre, Mary Loughlin, Jeff Lundberg, and Barb Waller
If you or someone you know would like to receive a visit from a Befriender, call Heidi at 651-257-2474 ext3 or email her.