The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. — Psalm 23:1

Resources for Families & Friends

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Choosing a Faith-Filled Facility

When selecting a long-term care home for your loved one, it’s important to consider not only physical and emotional care—but spiritual care as well.

Look for facilities that provide:
A Chapel with the Blessed Sacrament present
Regularly Scheduled Masses
Regularly Scheduled Confessions
These help ensure your loved one can continue to live and grow in their Catholic faith, even in long-term care.

Know Your Rights

How to Talk to a Care Facility

A single conversation can make a difference. Policies have changed simply because someone cared enough to ask.
Here’s how to start:
Reach Out
Call or visit a local nursing home or assisted living facility. Ask if Catholic residents have regular access to the sacraments.
Explain the Importance
Kindly share that for Catholics, receiving the Eucharist, Reconciliation, and the Anointing of the Sick are essential parts of spiritual care.
Offer Support
Suggest connecting the facility with nearby parishes, Eucharistic ministers, or Priests. Parishes will help once they become aware of the need.
Encourage Ongoing Access
Ask if the facility could designate a regular time or space for Mass, Communion services, or Confession.

How to Talk to Your Parish Priest

Goals of the Visit
Highlight the ongoing challenge of Catholic seniors lacking regular access to the Sacraments.
Learn from the priest’s experience with nursing home ministry.
Share information about Sacraments for Seniors and our mission.
Offer examples of practical, successful solutions.
Invite the priest’s support in informing parishioners and encouraging advocacy.
Ask for specific help and collaboration.

Conversation Guide

 “Father, thank you for taking the time to meet with us.”
“We’re advocates for seniors in long-term care facilities through a ministry called Sacraments for Seniors. Our hope is that every Catholic in these facilities receives regular opportunities for Mass, Communion, and Reconciliation.”

“Father, could you share a bit about your experience visiting nursing homes this year? Are you currently able to offer Mass and Confessions in nearby facilities?”
Listen attentively and thank him for his ministry and compassion.

 “We’ve found that some facilities still do not provide regular opportunities for priests to visit, offer Mass, or hear Confessions—even though guidelines allow and encourage it.”
“Our group has been meeting with administrators to help restore these vital services for Catholic residents.”
Show him a brochure or example packet.

 “We’re inviting parishioners to become voices for the voiceless—helping care facilities reconnect with their local parishes.”
“Would you be willing to help us share this message with your parish?”

 

 “We can provide more brochures, information about the issue, or even give a short talk to groups interested in helping.”

 “Thank you again, Father, for your time and for all you do for the sick and elderly. We’ll follow up soon and can drop off additional materials if you’d like.”

Book Recommendations

Meditations on End of Life:

Consoling Thoughts on Sickness and Death
St Francis de Sales, compiled by Pere Huguet
Get Book
Meditations on Death: Preparing for Eternity
Thomas á Kempis
Get Book
Preparation for Death
St Alphonsus Liguori
Get Book
Hope to Die
Scott Hahn
Get Book

Help for Patients and Families with the Spiritual, Medical and Moral Challenges of Aging:

To Die Well: A Catholic neurosurgeon’s guide to the end of life
Stephen Doran MD
Get Book
Matters of Life and Death
Gerard M. Verschuuren
Get Book
Now and at the Hour of Our Death:Making Moral Decisions at the End of Life
Mikolas T. Nikas and Bruce W. Green
Get Book
A cloud of incense rose upward, and in an instant, the people around him bowed deeply. What was happening? Suddenly, he understood—both with awe and with joy. It was the Blessed Sacrament. Christ Himself, truly present on the altar, had come to bless and be with His people. This Holy Presence is what sets a Catholic church apart from every other place on earth—making it uniquely and profoundly holy.
- John Henry Newman