Lay Volunteers — “Seniors For Christ”
A. The Name
- “Seniors for Christ” is a group
distinct from existing groups like “Couples for Christ,”
“Singles for Christ,” “Teens for Christ,”
etc.
- The name, “Seniors for Christ,”
refers to semi-retired or retired male and female volunteers of
the “Disciples of Hope”
- Other secondary apostolates of the Disciples
of Hope are as follows:
1. Public Hospital Chaplaincy
2. Hospice Care
3. Drug-Rehab
B. Who are these volunteers?
Volunteers are classified as:
1. Part-time
2. Full-time
3. Permanent
C. What in general do they do as volunteers?
1. The part-time volunteer, after seven weekends
of formation receives an assignment from the Formation Director.
The assignment is to spend one (1) hour a week of prayer vigil
in the home of a dying person.
He or she does this with a companion of the
same sex. The dying person is of the same sex as the “prayer
vigilant.”
2. The full-time volunteer, after serving as
part-time volunteer for six months, may pledge to spend five days
a week of a 1-hour prayer vigil in the home of the terminally
ill, plus one-hour a week vigil before the Blessed Sacrament praying
for the dying.
The full-time volunteer is expected also to
attend regular spiritual conferences at the Formation House of
the Disciples of Hope.
3. The permanent volunteers are those who may
live in the Patmos House with the members of the Disciples of
Hope, sharing their mission or charism according to their capacities.
Their assignment may include giving a Patmos
Retreat to the terminally ill, the elderly and the dying in the
Patmos House. They also help run the Patmos House.
D. Who in general are qualified to be volunteers?
1. All Catholic men and women, 55 years old and
above, who enjoy the freedom to serve the dying as their only
apostolate.
“Freedom” here means a freedom from the necessity
to be gainfully employed, a willingness and ability to leave family
and home (on a part-time or full-time basis) to be able to be
physically present to the dying and pray for them. This entails
a resignation from all other memberships in any active and/or
devotional apostolate in the parish.
2. Those who are willing and able to attend seven
(7) weekends of formation at the Formation House of the Disciples
of Hope.
E. Are there other assignments for volunteers
besides praying or giving retreats?
1. Yes, depending on the employment history and
present capacity of the volunteer. For example, if the volunteer
is a retired male lawyer, he may join the “Nicodemus Club”
section of the “Seniors for Christ”. The Necodemus
Club ministers to lawyers who are dying.
2. Men and women may serve as Board of Trustees
of the Patmos House, or they may volunteer as auxiliary staff
of the Formation House of the Disciples of Hope.
3. Retired doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists
and other members of the allied medical professions may serve
as such to the dying.
4. Retired teachers may teach at the Formation
House.
5. Retired diocesan priests may live and minister
in the Patmos House or in any of the secondary apostolates.
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