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Dear Friends

Francis on caregiving

Pope Francis on Palliative Care;
2018 Caregiver Prayers of Intercession; and Happy Thanksgiving!

Week of November 20, 2017
Prayer Requests

Dear Friends,

Earlier this month Pope Francis told participants at the European regional meeting of the World Medical Association:

It could be said that the categorical imperative is to never abandon the sick.

The anguish associated with conditions that bring us to the threshold of human mortality, and the difficulty of the decision we have to make, may tempt us to step back from the patient.

Yet this is where, more than anything else, we are called to show love and closeness, recognizing the limit that we all share and showing our solidarity.

Let each of us give love in his or her own way—as a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother or sister, a doctor or a nurse. But give it!

And even if we know that we cannot always guarantee healing or a cure, we can and must always care for the living, without ourselves shortening their life, but also without futilely resisting their death.

This approach is reflected in palliative care, which is proving most important in our culture, as it opposes what makes death most terrifying and unwelcome—pain and loneliness.

You can find a Catholic News Service article ("Care for the dying does not mean obstinately resisting death, pope says") on the pontiff's message here, and the text of it here.

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Happy (Liturgical) New Year! Over at CatholicCaregivers.com we've posted "Prayers of Intercession for Family Caregivers" for 2018 Sunday Masses. You can find them here.

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And...

Happy Thanksgiving, Dear Caregiver!

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This week we're so pleased to welcome Betty M. of North Dakota, Daniel O. and Sharae M. of Texas, and Linda H. of Kentucky, as the newest members of the Friends of St. John the Caregiver. Please keep them and their intentions in your prayers. They have promised to pray for you and yours.

And again this week we cordially invite you to join the Friends of St. John the Caregiver! (FSJC's programs include YourAgingParent.com and CatholicCaregivers.com.) You can find out more about becoming a member here.

No meetings, no dues. All we ask is that you pray for caregivers and those receiving care. Our members include caregivers, care-receivers, and those who support both (including quite a few former caregivers).

You can:

sign up on-line here

or call us toll-free at 1-800-392-JOHN (5646)

or print and mail an application form.

God bless you!

Bill

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