The awesome responsibility of serving Communion to the homebound hit Tito last fall when he served a parishioner who was alone in his final days. “He told me that he was preparing to die and it struck me that this man really wanted to be close to Jesus every day,” said Tito. “When he passed away, I thought, ‘His wish was fulfilled now.’ ”

“It’s a place to connect families who feel very isolated during serious illness,” said Albanese. “Cancer doesn’t discriminate and we think it’s never going to happen to us. Even now, I think, did that really happen? It’s all such a blur."