“The local community and pastors should accompany these people with solicitude, particularly when children are involved or when they are in serious financial difficulty” 2014 Synod of Bishops, Relatio
“the Church must accompany with attention and care the weakest of her children, who show signs of a wounded and troubled love, by restoring in them hope and confidence, like the beacon of a lighthouse in a port or a torch carried among the people to enlighten those who have lost their way or who are in the midst of a storm”. Let us not forget that the Church’s task is often like that of a field hospital. Amoris Laetitia 291
Pope Francis began his pontificate concerned that the Church would become a Church that would accompany. That the Church, in encountering the lost and the poor would not simply say “Go in peace, by warm and filled” but instead would give them the things needed for body and spirit. (cf. James 2:16) Often in parishes, we encounter need and can provide, in small ways, food, or some money for a gas bill, etc. but generally, we do not do well in the other ways help is needed, in listening, befriending, apprenticing, and accompanying, We know the impact that these types of influences can have on marriages in difficulty, not only in overcoming acute issues, but in handing on the skills which help couples avoid certain problems in the future.
The First Responders initiative will seek to have available, to every parish, teams of people who can respond quickly to the needs of those who approach the parish for aid, befriend them, listen to their needs, and direct them to proper resources, be they financial, material, relational, etc. After acting as an initial triage team, the First Responders will then continue to walk with and accompany those individuals for a year later, or as long as needed. Thus, the parish is not merely a dispensary of goods, but takes pains to encounter the personhood of those seeking our help and assist them in breaking out of the cycles of trouble and brokenness they may find themselves caught in.
By having the necessary professional training to understand the art of listening and accompaniment, the First Responders will not merely offer good will to those in need but will be able to skillfully guide them in their path to healing and wholeness. First Responders will also have training regarding and updated access to the various aid and counseling programs available through Diocesan, State, or Federal resources. They will also work in tandem with priests and deacons to ensure spiritual needs are recognized and met as well.
The Office of Marriage and Family Life is currently looking for individuals or married couples for our First Responders teams who are naturally skilled in empathic listening, desire to serve those in crisis, are able to set appropriate professional boundaries, and have time to dedicate to ministry activities (time will depend on the size and need of the parish/grouping). If you or someone in your parish is a good fit for this ministry, then please submit their information in this form and we will contact them for an interview.