St. Irenaeus Health Ministry held a Volunteer Appreciation Night on Tuesday, Aug. 11, in the Parish Hall. Director of Health Ministry Sr. Rita O’Connell prayed for and thanked all the volunteers who help the various ministries encompassed by Health during the past year.
Health Ministry Board members prepared freshly popped popcorn, ice cream sundaes, root beer floats and other treats for people to enjoy while they viewed a story of Music and Memory in the video “Alive Inside.”
“Alive Inside” was a very inspirational film that documented music’s healing power of reaching the hearts and souls of people with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss. It showed how social worker Dan Cohen used ipods with earphones and music tailored to the interest of each person to reawaken hope and joy within people. Music was shown to be more therapeutic than drugs. Drugs often are used to put people to sleep rather than awakening the minds and hearts of people.
Many people thought that this movie should be shown to everyone who would like to help people improve memory and bring joy to others. In the movie, listening to their favorite kinds of music seemed to make people more alive and active even if they were sitting in a wheelchair and usually not responsive.
There are more than 200 people who serve as ministers in Health Ministry but it was disappointing that only about 60 volunteers were able to come to see the movie “Alive Inside” and enjoy the ice cream social and treats. Many people who came to the Volunteer Appreciation Night said that they were impressed by the movie and thanked Health Ministry Board members for inviting them to the Volunteer Appreciation Night.
At the end of the evening, each person also a received prayer card from Sr. Rita. Sr. Rita prayed for God’s Holy Spirit to transform and inspire everyone with “boldness of heart, mind, body and spirit” as they became God’s “hands, feet and voice” as they cared for the people they served in their ministries. Sr. Rita thanked everyone and said that she appreciated everyone’s “willingness to lovingly minister to our parish community.”
There are still many volunteers needed to help serve the different ministries in Health Ministry at St. Irenaeus. If anyone would like to become a minister helping with such things as funeral hospitality, bringing communion to residents of care centers, bringing the Holy Eucharist to homebound parishioners, making shawls, making rosaries, washing altar linens and other ministries, please contact Sr. Rita at St. Irenaeus Parish office at 714-826-0760.