Eucharistic Homebound Ministers Bring Christ’s Love to All Members of Our Community

While the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, it can be all too easy to take for granted that we can frequently receive Christ in the Eucharist. The members of our community who are homebound or in the hospital for extended lengths of time don’t have this luxury, but the Eucharistic Homebound Ministers make sure that these parishioners are not forgotten. This ministry has a special draw to ministry coordinator Peggy Vellanoweth. While she has been unable to continue her work as a nurse due to an injury, Peggy has found that her gifts and talents for nursing are put to good use in surprising ways through this ministry.

“I love bringing the Lord to people,” Peggy says. “It gives them hope and I can listen to them and be with them on their journey through their illness.”

Receiving the Eucharist and having a visitor is a great comfort to those experiencing long-term illness or aging. Fr. Eduino makes the initial contact and can offer the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. Then he passes their information along to Peggy, who chooses a minister that would be a good fit to visit them. Peggy keeps detailed records of who has been visited and when those visits were. She also keeps addresses on file and the contact information for a family member in case they have trouble getting in touch with someone.

When she makes a visit, Peggy likes to say a prayer with the recipient — sometimes something as simple as the Our Father. She gives them Communion, even just a small piece if that is all they are able to receive. Over time, Peggy feels that she really gets to know people.

“I’ve developed relationships with these people,” she says. “You hear their history and how they’ve been involved in the parish. Many of them have also done this ministry — they’ve been involved and they care.”

COVID-19 has made it more difficult for ministers to carry out their service since they have been unable to visit patients in the hospital or the nursing homes. However, Peggy is ready to pick things up and looks forward to when the ministry can return to making normal visits.

Parishioners who are interested in taking the Eucharist to the homebound don’t necessarily have to be Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, although it is preferred. Peggy does a brief phone interview with new volunteers and takes them through a simple training session, showing them where the Eucharist is kept and how to use the pyx, the small case for carrying the Eucharist.

“It’s such a rewarding ministry,” Peggy says. “It really gives a lot back to us.”

If you would like to volunteer with the Eucharistic Homebound Ministry, please contact Peggy Vellanoweth at 916-488-1982.

Eucharistic Homebound Ministry coordinator Peggy Vellanoweth