St. John the Caregiver

Tomorrow (Dec. 27) is the feast day of St. John the Apostle, which makes it a good time to talk about the wonderful work done by the group, Friends of St. John the Caregiver. Founded by well-known Catholic writers Bill and Monica Dodds, the organization exists to help provide support to those who find themselves in a caregiving role. Their stated purpose is as follows:

Promoting Care for the Caregiver!

The Friends of St. John the Caregiver is an international Catholic organization addressing the growing needs of family caregivers by providing:

--Spirituality, information and resources to individual caregivers
www.YourAgingParent.com

--Training and educational material to dioceses and parishes
www.CatholicCaregivers.com

--A membership association offering spiritual support for:
-those who need care
-those who give care
-those who assist others giving care
www.FSJC.org/members' roles

St. John was given the role of caregiver at the foot of the cross when Jesus asked him to take care of his mother.

Prayer to St. John, Patron of Caregivers

Beloved St. John, from the cross, Jesus entrusted to you the care of His Blessed Mother. Help me and all those taking care of a loved one who is sick, elderly, disabled, or frail. Pray for us, that as we go about our many caregiving duties, we may never lose sight of that truth which Christ revealed to His disciples: 'Whatever you did for one of these, you did for Me.' Amen.