Diocesan initiative aims to bridge medical and spiritual needs Caring for the Whole Person JoAnn LoForti, Health Ministries, Diocese of Fresno
It is with great excitement that I announce the launching of “Caring for the Whole Person” Initiative within the Diocese of Fresno. This collaborative project of the California Catholic Bishops and Catholic Health Care systems is a comprehensive approach to caring for the sick and dying. The title of this initiative may be new to some but the concept is one that many parishes have embraced as their current active ministries demonstrate. Extraordinary Ministers of Eucharistic Communion, Bereavement, Ministry to the Homebound just to name a few, are ministries that all fall under the umbrella of Whole Person Care. Our goal is to bring forward the opportunity to embrace all the ministries seeking to ensure their parishioners and patients are accompanied, loved and supported through a diagnosis of serious illness and one’s end-of- life journey. Caring for the Whole Person is a comprehensive view of the needs and resources available to assist the sick and dying. Becoming familiar with and implementing the processes to gain an understanding of the resources available to parishioners is our intent. Spiritual and emotional care, physical care, caregiver support, Catholic Moral Teaching and advanced care
planning are a few of the topics addressed in Caring for the Whole Person. A variety of resources are available to assist in the development and execution of the programs within this initiative. The scope and the detail of the information available is welcoming and easily accessible and understood. We have started our journey with a simple survey sent to all parishes within the Diocese. This collection of data will allow us to become familiar with the ministries currently in place supporting whole person care and allow us to work within parishes to bring the many resources this initiative has to offer to their parishioners. Receiving a serious diagnosis can be devastating and scary. Caring for the Whole Person not only is broad in its scope of resources, it bridges medical and spiritual needs. A prominent objective is the thoughtful, caring approach geared to help guide families in addressing palliative care, hospice care, caring for the caregiver to name a few important resources benefiting families throughout their journey should a serious health threat occur. I am excited to begin this important work within our Diocese.
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Fall 2023
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