When Judy Molseed and her husband were looking at senior living centers,
the ability to attend Mass was important to them. On one of their tours, Judy
saw a bulletin board that said no Mass would be available until September that
year. It was May. Instead, she and her husband chose the Greenspring Retirement
Community in Springfield.
When seniors move into senior living centers, they may have
concerns about maintaining their spiritual lives, attending Mass and feeling
part of a parish community.
Several senior centers in the Arlington Diocese provide spiritual
nourishment for seniors who want to share their faith.
There are several options for religious activities at
Greenspring, including weekly Mass in the chapel or via TV, rosaries, marriage
blessings each quarter, and confession.
The availability of Mass was one reason Joanne Madison looked to
Greenspring.
“It’s good to know you have opportunities for spiritual growth
and maintaining what you’re used to,” said Madison.
Madison coordinates close to 30 extraordinary ministers of holy
Communion, several of whom are volunteers from nearby St. Bernadette Church.
They help distribute Communion at Mass and to the residents unable to attend.
The service is appreciated by the residents and ministers, said
Madison. “You walk into the residence and they say ‘Oh, good, I want to receive
holy Communion,’ or ‘How wonderful,’” she said. “It is good for their spiritual
life, but I’ve heard ministers say their appreciation for the Eucharist
increases by sharing it.”
Catholic residents at Greenspring appreciate the camaraderie. “We
meet each other here at church and outside of church,” said resident Albert
Heier. “It’s that sense of community and of supporting one another that is very
valuable to us.”
The fact that Greenspring has a chapel was important to resident
Frank Richardson. “A lot of places have services in auditoriums,” he said.
The decorations in the chapel were the result of several people.
“I always wanted to set the atmosphere of the church, so someone made the
banner, a priest brought the Madonna image, residents brought things like creche
sets,” Richardson said. “It is a gift that there always seems to be someone to
step up to fulfill the jobs that have to be done.”
Other senior centers provide residents access to faith
opportunities, as well. Seniors at Sunrise Bluemont in Arlington have
opportunities for weekly rosaries and Sunday services thanks to volunteers from
St. Ann Church in Arlington. Resident Doris Baldwin appreciates the volunteers
assisting with the rosary. “We meditate on the mysteries of the rosary and
discuss them,” she said. “I’ve gotten so much from it.”
Volunteers from St. Ann lead Sunday services and reflections on
the Gospel. Musicians also come weekly, with Mass celebrated once a month.
“It’s an outreach to the seniors in the community and it’s
wonderful for people there to connect with the religious place they’re part
of,” said Mary Stephenson, who coordinates volunteers from St. Ann. “The volunteers
find it to be an uplifting experience, seeing how the seniors keep their faith
through hardships. It means so much to the seniors when you come.”