80 Thank you’s

Early in 2009 my dear mother received news of a terminal bowel cancer. Her instruction to her 8 children and their families was “This journey does not need to be serious”. At 85 years of age and legally blind these were words of great courage.

The next six months were filled with gatherings of our clan, sometimes in small groups, sometimes in numbers too large for her little home, hospital room and eventually her nursing home. There was much joy along the way.

Mum had palliative surgery during Holy Week. A visit from Leonie Rastas from PHNA on Easter Sunday was to deliver a special gift of a Prayer Shawl and a Pocket Heart. My mother was always reluctant to discuss her ill-health. We were surprised at the ease with which she accepted the Prayer Shawl and the “little heart” with the message that it carried. She squeezed it regularly and would allow her children and grand-children to hold and squeeze it when they visited.

After the surgery and almost three weeks in hospital Mum became very frail. Her body was wasting and her weight loss extreme. She was always cold to touch. One day she asked for the Prayer Shawl to be placed around her. She kept saying that it felt ’surprisingly’ comforting. It was light in weight and wrapped her well. One day the shawl disappeared. It had inadvertently been taken off to the laundry. Mum was upset. I rang to tell Leonie and her reply was “Ask Mum what colour she would like her next shawl to be”. 2 days later her chosen pink and yet another shawl in pink and mauve arrived. Mum loved her shawls. She must have asked 50 times to be sure to say “thank you” to you all and a special thank you to Anne Rowan.

Some of Mum’s dying days were very difficult and very long. Many people visited. When she died on September 4th everyone knew about the Prayer Shawl and the Little Heart.

As we gathered to proceed into St Mary’s Cathedral for Mum’s Requiem Mass each of the 80 family members carried a “little coloured heart”. We were connected as one by the little hearts. They beautifully symbolised Mum’s love of sewing and cloth. We are so grateful to Mrs Geraldine Day for the hand=made, blanket-stitched, felt hearts. I will always remember Mum holding her little heart and wrapped in the soft pink shawl. She knew she was wrapped in prayer.

Mum’s last words to me were “God is good”. God’s goodness is revealed through the good works of His People. Thank you for being the people of God. Your ministries are very special.

Please be very sure that you and the work of PHNA are in our family prayer. Thank you once again.

God’s abundant blessings.

The PHNA office will open its Geelong office in Geelong West, on Monday October 5th 2009. Watch this space for more details.

Leonie Rastas , Pastoral Nurse Coordinator and Australian Delegate to the World Forum for Parish Nurses will travel to St Louis Missouri on September 24th to attend the 23rd Annual Westburg Symposiun “Opening Doors to Wholeness’. She will also attend the World Forum Dinner on the eve of the Conference, joining hundreds of other Pastoral Nurses from around the world.

The Geelong Pastoral Healthcare Network team are soon to open a ‘Wellness Centre’ at 264 Shannon ave Geelong West. The property has 5 spaces for PHNA projects and services to be offered and will be open 5 days per week……….Stay tuned for further details

Program Partners

St Francis of Assisi Parish, Mill Park

Wesley Centre for Life Enrichment, Geelong

St Josephs Catholic Community, Meredith

St Augustine’s Parish, Melbourne

Pastoral Health Services, Geelong

Geelong Catholic Deanery

This week RCNA launched its member forum for nurses to learn more about the subject of spirituality in healthcare. Come vist the site by selecting the RCNA logo and following the tabs to networks, then select Pastoral Nursing Care..

Two of our Pastoral Nurses, Carmel Mcleod and Leonie Rastas have joined the teaching staff at Australian Catholic University in Melbourne. They are tutoring the students in the core subject , “ Spirituality in Healthcare” for undergraduate nurses and midwives. A wonderful lead into the specialty of Pastoral Nursing.

Then look no further , PHNA is looking to conduct research into the effectiveness of Spiritual Care in Health outcomes. Contact PHNA to discuss possibilities.

Jo Veta Wescott, Director of Kansas Parish Nurse Ministries from Witchita Kansas and Dr Myrna Cassimere from New Orleans will be in Melbourne to present modules from the Basic preparation for Pastoral Nursing Curriculum on  November 18,19, & 20th 2009. To be held at the Nurses Memorial Centre, St Kilda Rd, Melbourne 3002.

$80 per day ……..Watch this space for registration forms

Save the Date: Saturday,  November 21, 2009

ANNUAL CONFERENCE   ‘Whats Spirituality got to do with Healthcare?

at The Nurses Memorial Centre

431 St Kilda Rd

Melbourne 3002  ….watch this space for registration details or contact us to reserve a place.