If you flipped on the television around this time last year,
you might have caught a glimpse of Stacey Jackson alongside
religious sisters in an episode of “The Sisterhood: Becoming
Nuns,” a Lifetime reality series following five women as they
discerned the religious life.
Fast-forward a year later and Jackson again is surrounded by
religious sisters, but this time off-camera. And she’s not
donning a novice’s habit, but rather an engagement ring and
the desire to serve a demographic often forgotten or
neglected.
The 27-year-old is spearheading “Serving the Aged Lovingly
Today,” a weeklong mission program through the Carmelite
Sisters for the Aged and Infirm in Germantown, N.Y. –
featured on “The Sisterhood” – that connects young women with
the elderly through service.
Grounded in pastoral care, program participants join nursing
home residents in their everyday activities, play games with
them and sit, talk and pray with them. After a successful
pilot program this summer, four immersion weeks are planned
at Carmelite-run nursing homes or assisted-living facilities
next year: Feb. 29-March 5 in Bayside, N.Y.; June 20-25 in
Staten Island, N.Y.; July 18-23 in Fort Thomas, Ky.; and Aug.
1-6 in Dublin.
Jackson said her road from “The Sisterhood” to engagement and
to employment with the Carmelites was unexpectedly fast. “My
spiritual director said God can work quickly, and he sure was
right,” laughed the bubbly Jackson, who graduated from Seton
School in Manassas and grew up attending St. Andrew the
Apostle Church in Clifton.
Hired by the Carmelites last January, Jackson said the job is
a “perfect fit.”
“I’ve long had a passion for serving the elderly. You often
go into it thinking you are bringing something for them, but
leave thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, you’ve given me so much.'”
Geared toward college-age women, SALT welcomes participants
of all ages and faiths. Young women stay at the convent or
nearby while serving at a nursing home. Hour-long enrichment
sessions are interspersed throughout the week to give the
women tools to guide their interactions. Discussions include
compassionate listening, ministering to individuals with
dementia and the meaning of pastoral care.
“Pastoral care is different from a social visit,” said
Jackson. “It’s dealing with life as it is, not life as it
should be. Women are encouraged not to simply chat about the
weather or engage in small talk, but if someone opens up
about something painful, to sit with them in their pain.
“Some don’t have a lot of visitors to talk to,” she said, and
because many residents are near the end of their lives, “they
are also more inclined to reflect on the past.”
Though not specifically a discernment program, “it can be a
great thing to do as part of discerning because you are
getting a sense of the religious life,” said Jackson. During
the pilot, it was “amazing to see the ladies’ eyes opening up
and see them forming these relationships,” she said. “It was
moving on a very deep level.”
Participants are encouraged to stay in touch with the
individuals they’ve met, and the Carmelites keep them updated
after the week ends.
Ministering to the elderly often is overlooked, even in
Catholic service circles, said Jackson. “Sometimes once the
elderly’s physical needs are met, people think their care is
finished and neglect their spiritual needs. The Carmelites,
however, look at the whole person.”
With insights earned through the ups and downs of life, the
elderly often contain “rich wisdom” that is available to
those who take the time to listen, said Jackson. SALT
participants learn to be compassionate listeners, and that
ability translates into their interactions with parents,
friends, strangers and spouses, she said.
“And when you’re talking to a 90-year-old woman who has a
deep peace about things, it helps you stop worrying about
things in life that are not a big deal,” said Jackson. “They
put life in perspective, and that is an amazing gift.”
Find out more
To learn more about SALT or to apply, go here.
