 When a person is seriously ill or nearing the end of life, the presence of a priest can bring profound comfort to patients and their families. Throughout the Diocese of Calgary, parish priests respond to requests for the Sacraments for the sick and dying in their communities. In Calgary, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, dedicated systems help ensure that this pastoral care is available around the clock amid the high volume of calls from hospitals, hospices, and care homes. The ministry is especially important in Calgary, where seven priest chaplains provide 24 hour emergency sacramental care across a large network of health care facilities. They serve five hospitals, more than six hospices, and 43 care homes, responding when patients or families urgently request a priest.
For families, knowing that a priest is available when a loved one is seriously ill can be a tremendous source of peace. One parishioner shared her gratitude after her mother received the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and a blessing before she passed away: “Words can’t express how grateful I was to know that mom received the anointing of the sick and blessing before she passed away from chaplain. Thank you, Lord!” Behind every number is a person, a patient, a family member, a moment of fear or uncertainty, and an opportunity for the Church to bring Christ’s mercy and consolation.
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“I will never forget you.” This promise from Isaiah 49:15 is the theme for the 6th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, celebrated on Sunday, July 26, 2026. Established by Pope Francis in 2021 and now carried forward by Pope Leo XIV, this Day calls the Church to honour grandparents and elders not with occasional gestures, but with lasting closeness, gratitude, and care. The Vatican Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life is asking all the faithful to place emphasis on closeness: reaching out directly to those who live alone, are staying in care homes, or have no visitors. It is an opportunity for everyone, especially the young, to spend time with grandparents, elderly family members, and above all, those who are completely isolated. Resources:
Simple ways to celebrate In your parish:
In your home:
Sources: Message of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for the Sixth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (15 June 2026); Pastoral Toolkit, Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.
 In every family and community, there are quiet struggles we may not always see. Mental illness touches many lives, often closer than we realize. In any given year, one in five Canadians will experience it: a friend, a colleague, a loved one.
We invite the Catholic community to respectfully contact their local Member of Parliament (MP) to request their support for Bill C-218, the Right to Recover Act, currently before the Parliament of Canada. Bill C-218 proposes an amendment to the Criminal Code to make it illegal to provide Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) to individuals whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness. It recognizes the importance of recovery and ensures that help can be offered, not harm. Why this matters
Background on Bill C-218 Bill C-218 is a Private Members’ Bill introduced in Parliament by an individual Member of Parliament. It has been introduced by Tamara Jansen, MP for Cloverdale–Langley City, British Columbia. To pass, the legislation will require support from more than one political party. Many Members of Parliament have expressed concern about the rapid expansion of MAiD in Canada, particularly for those whose primary underlying condition is mental illness. MPs are being asked to vote according to their conscience, regardless of party affiliation. The difference in passing this bill could be just a few votes in the House of Commons. If the legislation does not pass, new laws are set to take effect on March 17, 2027, allowing MAiD for those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness. Take action You are invited to visit HelpNotHarmCanada.ca, where you can send an email directly to your local Member of Parliament in under 3 minutes. As Catholics and Canadians, we are called to offer care, hope, and protection to those who are suffering.  In December 2024, my husband Don was diagnosed with terminal cancer. His prognosis was “a few months to a few years”. I was determined that he should remain at home as long as possible, but it was a grim Christmas marked by draconian changes to our routines. Somewhere in my fog of anxiety and exhaustion, I registered the start of the Jubilee Year of Hope. I decided then and there that I could either sink into despair or cling to hope. I actually did both, embracing both sorrow and consolation, like the pilgrims on the Jubilee logo who clutch a cross while dragging an anchor. 2025 became a year of unexpected spiritual growth. I discovered there are dozens of people in similar circumstances to ours - adrift following some drastic event, trying to adapt whilst grieving. This is my story, but it is also our story, all of us pilgrims of hope, still journeying beyond the end of the Jubilee Year. Weary time for God Before Don’s illness, I never seemed to have time to rest quietly with God. My prayers would be hasty thanks and distracted petitions. Now, having dropped all extraneous commitments, there was time to sit down, whilst Don was sleeping. Unfortunately, my brain felt too numb to pray, so I just listened to the quiet house or the sounds of wind filtering in from outside. I allowed the Holy Spirit to communicate for me “with sighs too deep for words”. Into this silence peace would creep. I became aware of God’s nearness. Those moments of connection, however fleeting, refreshed me. I realized I was being sustained by my Creator. Jesus suffered too For every peaceful interlude, there seemed to be ten when I felt guilty or resentful. But God was there too. Once when seething about perceived ingratitude, I recalled the story of nine lepers racing away from Jesus without a word of thanks. I understood there was nothing I might feel which Jesus hadn’t also felt. Jesus being fully human finally resonated with me. Unexpected blessings In normal life, there are blessings like health and wealth. Blessings don’t disappear in troubled times but they do hide in hard-to-find places. For example, intimate caregiving can be unglamorous and embarrassing. But it can also be like cracking open a geode to find gemstones within. Something about vulnerability stirs the human heart to compassion, it bonds the carer and the cared-for together more tightly. Love continues to grow in sickness as in health. A different future A calamity can crystallize our life goals. When Don became too unsteady to leave the house, all my plans for the future dissolved. The pain of lost dreams was acute, the suffocation of self-pity even worse. But once I was done wallowing, I realized the smallness of my dreams. I had not thought beyond the grave to the eternity we are all offered. On days when I couldn’t quite see Heaven, I could least believe in things unseen. A year later, Don is still around (thank you, God), but new challenges arise every week. I am tired but grateful for small mercies and for the support networks we have. I have learned that extreme circumstances are paradoxical - I am angry but also accepting, worried but optimistic. I fear, but I continue to hope. Written by Alice Matisz (All Saints, Lethbridge) for Faithfully.
 More than 155 years ago, the Sisters of Charity (also known as the Grey Nuns) arrived in what would become Alberta with little more than faith, courage and a deep conviction that every life is sacred. They cared for the sick, welcomed the vulnerable and built the foundations of Catholic health care in our province. Today, that same mission lives on in Covenant hospitals, continuing care centres and community health programs across Alberta. And it lives on through you: through the prayers, generosity and support of people who believe that compassionate care is still a calling. When you support Covenant Foundation, you are not just remembering a legacy. You are helping carry it forward, ensuring that faith continues to be lived through care for generations to come. This Catholic Health Care Week, learn about our sacred legacy at covenantfoundation.ca/oursacredlegacy Covenant Health sites within the Diocese of Calgary:
 Article & photos: Submitted by Covenant Health Alberta.
Today, on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Church observes the World Day of Prayer for the Sick, a day dedicated to lifting up those who suffer and those who care for them. The Jubilee of Hope makes this year's celebration particularly special. In this spirit of hope and renewal, members of the Calgary Catholic Medical Association (CCMA) gathered on February 1, 2025 for their annual breakfast at Heritage Park Railway Café. With Bishop William McGrattan as the keynote speaker, the morning was a rich opportunity for reflection on the theme of holiness, service, and the integration of faith in the medical profession. As Bishop McGrattan highlighted, this jubilee year is indeed an opportunity for healthcare professionals to focus on the perennial challenge to integrate faith in one's life and work of service.
Becoming Beacons of Hope Bishop McGrattan's talk, "Mission of Hope," was a real call to action – an invitation to those in medical field to become beacons of hope. He wasn't just talking about expertise, but about living our faith openly. He reminded us what Pope Francis said in Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad) – that holiness isn't some far-off, impossible dream for a chosen few, but something we're all called to. “Holiness is the most attractive face of the Church,” he shared, quoting Gaudete et Exsultate. “To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest, or a religious. We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case. We are called to be holy by living our life with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.” (GE No. 14) He added, "For healthcare professionals, your daily work is more than a job—it is a vocation, a path to holiness. The long hours, the difficult decisions, the emotional weight of your work—these can all be opportunities to bring Christ’s love into the lives of the sick and suffering. But this kind of witness does not happen by accident. It requires intentionality, prayer, and a commitment to growing in faith."
Bishop McGrattan highlighted that this Jubilee Year is an extraordinary time of grace. Pope Francis, in his Bull of Indiction Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint - Rom 5:5), calls the faithful to a renewed commitment to the Christian life. Read also: Pope Francis' message for the 33rd World Day of the Sick “Every jubilee year is an invitation to be more intentional in our living of the Christian life. To renew our life and to focus on the many ways that we receive the gift of God’s grace. It is a year to experience the call to conversion, to strengthen the living of the faith, and deepen our relationship with God,” Bishop said. For Catholic healthcare workers, this means resisting the temptation to separate their faith from their profession. The Second Vatican Council warned against this tendency: “One of the most serious errors of our time is to see that religion and faith are not just acts of worship or simply fulfilling moral obligations and that one cannot simply engage in human affairs and think that such activities are divorced or separated from one’s religious life and faith” (Gaudium et Spes No. 43). Rather, faith must permeate every aspect of life—including work. Pope Francis cautioned against an “excess of activity” that lacks adequate spiritual grounding, warning that “without this spiritual permeation our activity can be tiring, burdensome, dissatisfying, and become an unbearable fatigue.” (Evangelii Gaudium No. 82) A Recipe for Spiritual Resilience How can healthcare professionals cultivate this integration of faith and work? Each one of us is called to do the personal work to grow in Holiness. The bishop emphasized that the willingness to grow in this way is an act of love towards God. The ‘recipe‘ he proposed can be found in The Six Daily Habits book by Fr. John O’Brien, SJ, who lives at the Martyr’s Shrine in Midland , Ontario.
Dr. Monique exlaimed, "It was very helpful for us to have the Bishop role model for us some of the daily habits he uses to carry out His own personal Mission as our Bishop. He spoke to us from his heart, which is a powerful way to teach an important message." As we mark this World Day of Prayer for the Sick and journey through the Jubilee Year of Hope, let us take to heart the words of Pope Francis: “Let the grace of your baptism bear fruit in the path of holiness. Let everything be open to God; turn to him in every situation. Do not be dismayed, for you can do this in the power of the Holy Spirit.” (GE No. 15) For those in the medical field who seek a community of faith and support, the Calgary Catholic Medical Association extends an open invitation: Join us in living out this mission of hope. Photos courtesy of Calgary Catholic Medical Association. For more information about Calgary Catholic Medical Association, visit: catholicmedyyc.wordpress.com
 Designated by the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada (CHAC), National Catholic Health Care Week (Feb. 2-8, 2025) is a time to give thanks for Catholic health care and for the thousands of dedicated staff, physicians and volunteers who serve courageously in healthcare ministry. This year’s theme, Caring for our Common Home, celebrates the interconnectedness of all creation and helps us to reflect on how our individual and collective actions and our systems—health, social, economic—carry on Jesus’ healing ministry and promote a healthy world where all can thrive. Covenant contributes to the health and well-being of Albertans as four Catholic organizations rooted in an over 155-year legacy of compassionate care and service in the province. These include Covenant Health, Covenant Care, Covenant Living and Covenant Foundation. During the Week, Covenant will share stories and generate discussion through their social media channels highlighting the inspiring work of Catholic health care, its legacy of healing and the incredible work their teams do every day to provide care to people who are most vulnerable in our society. Covenant invites you to spread the message and value of Catholic health care. Join in the conversation on social media using #catholichealthcareweek on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
 Photo credit: Archdiocese of Edmonton Background: Since the legalization of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) was first proposed in Canada, the Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories have been steadfast in expressing their opposition to all forms of euthanasia and assisted suicide proposed under the law. MAiD is not an acceptable end-of-life option. Rather, increased investment should be made in excellent palliative care.
To note:
Furthermore, the Catholic Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories align themselves entirely to the many position statements issued on these matters over the past decade under the auspices of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. [See: Statements by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.] Of particular note, please reference the inadmissibility of either euthanasia or assisted suicide in any healthcare organization with a Catholic identity:
The position of the Bishops remains unequivocal. Contrary to Church teaching, euthanasia and assisted suicide:
Catholic Bishops of Alberta and NWT Most Reverend Most Reverend Richard W. Smith Archbishop of Edmonton Most Reverend William McGrattan Bishop of Calgary Most Reverend Gary Franken Bishop of St. Paul Most Reverend Gerard Pettipas Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan Most Reverend David Motiuk Bishop of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Edmonton Most Reverend Jon Hansen, CSsR Bishop of Mackenzie-Fort Smith December 12, 2025
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Pontifical Academy for Life, and other key partners are organizing an international interfaith symposium on palliative care. Entitled “Towards a Narrative of Hope”, this symposium will take place on May 21-23, 2024, in Toronto. With the objective to educate and build a culture of social responsibility in palliative care, experts from medical, ethical and pastoral contexts will focus on translating insights from the presentations and discussions into concrete strategies of actions. You can already watch a short video on the purpose of the symposium and the vital role of faith-based organizations and communities in promoting human dignity, compassion, and respect for patients and their families through the illness and dying process. Please find below, for your information the videos announcing this international interfaith symposium on palliative care. Video in French by Bishop Noël Simard, Bishop of Valleyfield QC, and Member of the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV), and Chairman of the Scientific Board for the Symposium: https://youtu.be/zBYKDGrvDlE?si=bHQYZ51-Ol0cuazQ  First Sunday of Advent at Peter Lougheed Hospital Chapel, Dec 3, 2023. Great news! The celebration of Sunday Mass has resumed at three hospitals on the First Sunday of Advent in the City of Calgary. Patients, family members and friends, and hospital staff are now able to avail of this pastoral outreach in the following facilities:
 The accelerated adoption of the Euthanasia law in Canada has thrown us into a troubling attack on the sanctity of life. Initially introduced by the Canadian Government to alleviate severe physical suffering, the law is now being suggested as a method to "manage" mental health conditions. Bill C-7, an amendment to the Criminal Code relating to medical assistance in dying (MAiD), proposes expanding eligibility for MAiD by removing the requirement that a person's natural death must be reasonably foreseeable. This could allow individuals not nearing the end of their lives, including those with mental illnesses such as depression, to avail themselves of this provision. Since its adoption, over 31,000 medically assisted suicides have occurred in Canada - a number projected to rise significantly with the planned expansion of the law to include those suffering from mental health conditions. However, mental health illnesses are highly treatable. Symptoms can be managed, and lives can be lived to the fullest. Broadening access to MAiD is not the solution, particularly when our priority should be to choose life over death. We must ensure all efforts are taken to protect the most vulnerable from medically assisted premature death, which can be prevented with adequate treatment and care. We should ensure that those suffering from mental illness are treated medically, not through assisted dying. Conservative MP Ed Fast has brought forward a Private Members Bill C-314 to rescind the government’s decision to expand Canada’s assisted suicide laws. The bill asserts that medical assistance in dying should not apply to persons suffering solely from mental illness. The vote will take place by members of parliament on October 18th. As the CCCB urges all the faithful in their Open Letter in May 2023: “We encourage individual Catholics and their families, faith communities, Catholic healthcare professionals and any other people of good will to continue courageously and unwaveringly to witness to life, to tend to and accompany the sick, to resist pressure to support or participate in ‘MAiD,’ and to pray that our law makers may see the harm in what they are permitting to take place.” Let's continue to pray for those living with mental health challenges and illnesses and those who care for them, that God may strengthen them in hope, and that they may find the support they need from family, healthcare professionals, faith communities, and others. The Catholic Women's League (CWL), a national organization of Catholic women, emphasizes the sanctity of human life as one of their key missions. Amidst the pressing social justice issue of inadequate mental health and palliative care services in Canada, and the critical concern surrounding MAiD, they are urging members and the faithful to take action and reach out to their Member of Parliament, requesting support for Bill C-314. With the vote scheduled for October 18th, time is critical. Please share this vital message with your family and friends.
Notes:
Reading materials:
 Together with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Bishop McGrattan is urging the faithful to continue to oppose the expansion of MAiD in Canada. The CCCB has just issued an Open Letter to the Government of Canada and a Message to the Catholic Faithful on May 9 re: Permitting Persons Living with Mental Illness to Access Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide. We ask you to share the Bishop's message with your friends and family:
Let us spend the National Week of Family and Life (NFLW) 2023 united in prayer, reflection, and action, demonstrating our active support for family and life. Indeed, families are “guardians of life” when we love one another within our families and in wider society when we show kindness toward and care for the vulnerable and marginalized.
Note: Day 1 can begin anytime! We want to ensure everybody has the opportunity to join in and take part in this wonderful experience. Don't worry if you missed the start of NFLW, you can join in and start participating in the daily prayers and activities from any day.
Source: National Life & Family Week Daily Prayers & Activities, CCCB, 2023
 Dr. Peggy Thomson-Gibson
Canadian Catholics who want a more fulsome public discussion of the law regarding medically-assisted death are being called to use their faith to move a legislative mountain. But take heart. The first item on the change agenda involves something as simple–and important–as writing letters to your Member of Parliament and key government ministers, says Dr. Peggy Thomson-Gibson.
The catch? With people’s lives at stake, there’s no time to lose. A Catholic and Calgary physician, Dr. Thomson-Gibson recently addressed MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) at a special meeting held at St. Peter’s parish. There, the medical doctor encouraged Catholics to learn how “we can defend our faith without raising our voices.” To do that, Catholics need solid information about their faith–and about what’s at stake, especially with proposed changes to MAiD law, says Thomson-Gibson. The problem with MAID Approved in 2016, existing MAiD law allows Canadians to choose a medically-assisted death when their death is “reasonably foreseeable.” Health Canada recorded 7,595 MAiD deaths in 2020, up from 1,108 in 2016. For information about why the Church rejects euthanasia or assisted suicide, visit this page. Looking ahead, the number of MAiD deaths to date are a fraction of what was expected had proposed amendments come into effect this March. The now-delayed changes expanded MAiD’s accessibility while simultaneously decreasing oversight, says Dr. Thomson-Gibson. Of primary concern was a change that allowed people with mental illness as their sole criterion to choose a medically-assisted death. People with a severe long-term condition or disability could also access MAiD, opening the door for medically-assisted death to be offered instead of treatment. Opponents say this confuses the notion of a “right” to die with a “duty” to choose death over treatment. This is especially troublesome in a public health system where disabled or mentally-unwell individuals could be made to think they are a financial burden on their families or society. Information released in 2022 shows the proposed changes also cut a mandated reflection period for those whose death is “reasonably foreseeable” under current law. Instead of a 10-day period, the changes required a single day. Another change drops the legal requirement for two witnesses to one and the sole witness could be a paid health professional. These amendments were scheduled to come into effect in March 2023. They were delayed in late 2022, and again last week. This provides more time for study and input. That timeline underscores the opportunity for faith-based outreach, like letters to the Prime Minister and individual Members of Parliament, says Thomson-Gibson. She suggests letter writers model respect in their letters and conversations about MAiD. Catholics looking for more guidance about how “to shed light, not heat” on hot-button topics should check out information from Catholic Voices Canada (https://catholicvoices.ca), adds the doctor.
 The World Day of the Sick is celebrated each year on February 11, the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. It is an occasion to pray for individuals who are suffering, and to find concrete ways to draw nearer to them. The Holy Father's 2023 message is entitled: "Take care of him - Compassion as a synodal exercise of healing". In light of the Church's synodal journey, Pope Francis invites us "to reflect on the fact that it is precisely through the experience of fragility and illness that we can learn to walk together according to God's style of closeness, compassion and tenderness."
Pastoral suggestions for the World Day for the Sick (Feb. 11, 2023) for parishes and all the faithful:
Resources for World Day for the Sick:
As human beings with both body and soul, we take good care of ourselves through healthy relationships, especially our relationship with God, and with the help of science. Watch this video and see how both science and the Faith connect.
 “Help me!” Out of a dark bathroom in a long term care home, I heard a plaintive cry and froze. I was there to bring the Eucharist, nothing more. I turned to seek out an attendant and heard again, “Don’t leave me!” Heart pounding, I crept forward, identified myself loudly and turned on the lights to find an elderly woman on the toilet. With shaking hands I cleaned her and helped her to stand up. She leaned against me as we washed our hands. Secretly I thought, “I have wiped Christ’s bottom.” Jesus said that whatever we do for the least of his brethren we do for him. This is true whether we cook for our family, give alms to the poor or serve at Mass. However, it might be particularly true when we are called to move out of our comfort zone and give more than we intended to. For example, when we offer to buy a street person a coffee and he chooses a whole meal with it. Or we call to check in on a friend and she spills out her woes for an hour. When we give of ourselves we prefer to have a measure of control over the experience but that is not how God gives of himself. God gave his only son, and Jesus gave his lifeblood for us. God continues to give constantly and completely, so we are called to do the same. This kind of self-emptying service is what Pope Francis called “the art of accompaniment”. “The Church will have to initiate everyone – priests, religious and laity- into this “art of accompaniment” which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other.” (Evangelii Gaudium 169) I am coming to understand The Art of Accompaniment through a series of talks given by Fr. Tim Boyle at St. Martha’s Parish in Lethbridge . So far Fr. Boyle has noted that accompaniment is not quite the same as caregiving, although it might include that. To accompany someone is to first of all recognize that God is with them. As guest speaker Reno Guimond said, “We are not bringing God to anyone. God has been there long before we show up. We go to see where God is.” Besides recognizing God in each person, we also need to understand how God works in the world. Fr. Boyle encouraged his listeners to imagine God “delighting” in the world as he created it. “God has invested himself in creation,” Fr. Boyle said. “This is not a one-time event but an evolving artwork. If God accompanies us as an artist not as an engineer then God is vulnerable to the unfolding of Creation… God suffers in the process… God chooses to spend himself on creation.” This form of sacrificial support was expressed ultimately by God becoming human and Jesus’ death and resurrection. For us, sacrificial giving of ourselves is often a challenge. Society dictates that one must preserve oneself, must learn to ‘Say No’, and ration one’s time and energy. Yet Creation shows otherwise. Fr. Boyle used the examples of salmon making death runs upstream to spawn, and sunflowers drying up to produce seeds for food and for procreation. “Like salmon and sunflowers, every creature, in order to reach their full potential, needs to empty themselves out”, Fr. Boyle said. So how is this achieved in practical terms? How does one accompany another person, whether continuously or when called upon? It begins when we accept God’s accompaniment of us. This happens through grace which Fr. Boyle suggests is “like manna – something given by God every day which cannot be stored up but only taken advantage of that day.” Grace is not a weapon or superpower, it doesn’t enhance our abilities. Indeed it requires us to first accept that we have no ability without God. We are flawed and vulnerable beings made precious by God’s acceptance. It is God’s grace that sustains us, sanctifies us. When we understand this dynamic we are better prepared to handle the vulnerability of others, to accept it, and handle it gently. Since my first incident of extreme vulnerability in long-term care, my ministry partner and I have been called upon to assist a few others at their times of greatest need, in life and even approaching death. While I still feel my heart pounding each time, the experiences have been deeply humbling. I know God is helping me learn how to cherish the sacred ground of others.
 The Calgary Catholic Medical Association (CCMA) would love to invite and meet with you at our upcoming event. Please join us for the White Mass (Feast day of St. Luke) Tuesday, October. 18, 2022 at 7 pm, at St. Mary's Cathedral (Calgary) with Bishop McGrattan. This mass is open to the public and is not limited to only health care professionals. About CCMA The Calgary Catholic Medical Association (CCMA) has been a running lay Association for 20 years. It is the only multidisciplinary Catholic Association of health care providers in Canada. Our mission is to foster the personal and professional formation of healthcare professionals, in accord with the magisterium of the Catholic Church. Membership includes voting and nomination privileges at the AGM, early notification of upcoming events, early bird discount pricing for social events, but most importantly, a community that holds common ground in faith and interest in health care. To share some personal experiences of the CCMA, we have testimonies from a few members of the Executive Council.
I have been part of the CCMA since 2016, first as a spouse of a member, an allied health member, and then as a member of the Board. For me, this association is a place of community and connection with others of the same faith and values. Sometimes religion and spirituality can be very personal and hard to talk about, however, I have realized that spirituality is what gives us meaning in life, whether for ourselves or for the people we care for. This has been the place to share in how we can live out our faith while exhibiting the love and care like Jesus did within both our personal and professional roles. To contact CCMA, visit their website at https://catholicmedyyc.wordpress.com
or email [email protected]
 Javier Martinez had just removed his face shield and mask when a woman suddenly appeared in the room and approached him. The woman was a resident of the memory care wing of the seniors’ residence where Martinez was working. She was also positive for COVID-19. “It happened so fast and I remember thinking, ‘it’s highly probable that I’ve got COVID,’” recalls Martinez, a registered nurse and the father of five. He was right. Martinez is a clinical leader in the supportive living section at St. Marguerite Manor, a Covenant Care home in northwest Calgary. Two residents at that facility died in the second wave of the global pandemic declared in 2020. Martinez, however, was infected in Edmonton. He was there in November 2020 to provide support in a seniors’ care home hit much harder by the second wave of the pandemic. In addition to several deaths and widespread infection, many staff at that home were infected and unable to work. While his first test was negative, Martinez developed body aches and a headache soon after his return to Calgary. The nurse knew he had COVID-19 well before the second test yielded a positive result. By then, he and his wife Colette had already discussed what they would do to keep the family safe. They did what they could to keep their kids, ages 13 to three, away from their dad. Still, the oldest and youngest, two of their three daughters, were infected. Both children weathered the virus well. “We were fortunate,” says their dad.  Javier and his family A culture of care More than a year after the pandemic began, vaccinations and the careful of use of PPE (personal protective equipment, like masks) have imbued Martinez’s view from the front lines with a great deal of hope. In the early days, “there was a lot of uncertainty because it was brand new and we had to deal with a lot of changes. Provincial orders from the Chief Medical Officer of Health changed often, sometimes daily. One of the most dramatic shifts was the move to restrict visitors. That was really tough. Some of our residents have large families who are very close. I had to explain the health rules to many people and because these were mandated changes, we didn’t have much flexibility. This was very tough on residents and their families.” Careful adherence to the rules definitely kept people safe, says Martinez. Only one resident and a few staff at St. Marguerite Manor contracted COVID-19 in the first wave. The second wave was harder, but by then, something else was also at work. He says some residents talked openly about having lived good lives. They were not afraid to catch the virus and die. What they did not “want was to be the person who brought the virus into the manor. That care for other people was very strong.” Now that residents and most staff are fully vaccinated, life at the manor is more relaxed. Visitors are allowed in after screening and as of June 1, staff no longer have to wear face shields over their masks. “It’s amazing to see how things have changed for seniors in supportive living and long-term care because of the vaccinations,” says Martinez. Looking back, Martinez thinks about what the pandemic has taught him as a Catholic man, nurse, husband and father. He knows the people he works with were negatively impacted when denied access to family and friends. He also knows many of them weathered the storm with grace. “I guess I think about how we’re called to serve our neighbours—and to serve the best interests of our neighbours,” says Martinez. A parishioner at St. Gerard’s parish in Calgary, he also thinks about how the Catholic community supported that part of the gospel message. As he sees it, sometimes service is as simple as doing what’s best for others. Written by Joy Gregory for Faithfully Photos courtesy of Javier Martinez   Vanessa* carries something special with her every time she walks into the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. The NICU is where our city’s newest mortals, born early or with health problems, receive 24/7 care from teams of medical professionals, including Vanessa, a registered nurse. This is the kind of place where human beings routinely bear witness to some of the most powerful experiences life can offer. There, Vanessa has seen miracles happen. A faithful Catholic, she also knows that not every miracle ends with a baby carried home in the arms of loving parents. “You always pray for the best outcome, but it’s always in the hands of God.” So, what does Vanessa carry that fortifies her vocation to serve one of the city’s most medically-vulnerable populations? Faith and experience, says the cradle Catholic, wife and mother. In addition to her nurse’s training, this front-line worker recalls what it was like to be cared for as a child prone to severe asthma attacks that kept her away from school and off sports teams. She remembers how medical professionals, doctors and two cousins who were nurses, sometimes came to her family’s home in India, which lacked public health care. The visits kept her out of the hospital, keeping her well without great expense. They also gave Vanessa a lasting appreciation for what it feels like to be cared for during some of life’s weakest moments.
Written by Joy Gregory for Faithfully
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