On a recent Wednesday afternoon, residents of Arden Courts of
Fair Oaks who struggle with their memory because of Alzheimer’s or dementia,
sit quietly in the activity room as a recitation of the rosary is played on a
CD led by volunteers from St. Timothy Church in Chantilly.
Because lyrics to songs can be recalled easily while other
memories fade, volunteer Kathleen O’Day invited the residents to sing a rousing
edition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” after the rosary.
Although the residents forget things because of their conditions,
they are not forgotten. The volunteers help with monthly Mass and a weekly
rosary. Father Robert C. Cilinski, pastor of Church of the Nativity in Burke,
and priests from St. Timothy celebrate Mass at the facility.
Father Cilinski started celebrating Mass at Arden Courts when his
father became a resident in 2011. They didn’t have Catholic Mass at the time,
so he celebrated Mass twice a month for his father and the other Catholic
residents. His father died in 2013, but Father Cilinski continued to celebrate
Mass as a way to honor his father and his relationship with the residents.
“(The residents) are very aware and attentive when they are
praying,” said Father Cilinski. “Faith, friendship with God and prayers seem to
never leave us.”
This past fall, current and former volunteers they received an
award for their 20 years of service, including O’Day, Carol Ann Scarlett,
Patricia Turant, Terri Miller, Grace Begley, Deacon David Conroy, Kim Kenna,
Stella Maris, Mary Bumbera and Ruth Huling.
Kenna, who homeschooled her seven children, often brought them to
Arden Courts for the rosary and Masses. She said it taught them things their
school lessons might not have. “They came to understand that growing old and
frail was just part of life, and I know that it helped my kids when my dad
became sick with cancer,” Kenna said. “They understood that life was a complete
circle — (the elderly) cared for us when we were young and now we were caring
for them.”
Brittany Smith, resident programs coordinator at Arden Courts,
said the volunteers help ensure the residents stay connected to the church.
“Some of the residents are unable to get out on their own to practice their
faith,” said Smith. “The volunteers always come prepared and help assist residents
to and from religious services if needed.”
The ministry at Arden Courts evolved as an extension of the
parish’s existing ministry at nearby Manor Care Health Services of Fair Oaks,
said Deacon Conroy, who was one of the initial founders of the ministry. “We
had been at Manor Care since the building was dedicated, (so) I had an existing
group of approximately 12 to 15 volunteers from St. Timothy’s from whom I could
request assistance,” he said. “Mary King, a parishioner and a nurse at Manor
Care, was the initial stimulus for the ministry (there).”
Arden Courts and Manor Care are within the St. Timothy parish
boundaries, according to Deacon Conroy. He was willing to help because he saw
the need and importance of making the sacraments available to the residents.
O’Day was asked to participate 20 years ago when one of the
founders, Odette Lopez, was in need of volunteers one day. She never stopped
coming back.
“It’s like a commitment, and you fall in love with the folks
here,” said O’Day. “You just want to keep coming back.”
The benefits of the ministry are felt by both volunteers and
residents.
“One of the most memorable and regular occurrences was, and
continues to be, the genuine, heartfelt smiles shared with the volunteers as
they entered the rooms of the residents,” Deacon Conroy said. “The incredible
appreciation they extended to the volunteers had a profound and permanent
impact upon (them). This heartfelt response of the residents served to enable
the volunteers to gain, or regain, a wholesome perspective on life.”
