Visiting the sick
Those who are suffering in hospital or facing a difficult diagnosis, can often feel very alone.
Hospital Chaplaincy coordinator Jackie Saretsky, Fr. Benedict Arakkal and other priest chaplains visit those who are sick (including patients from out of town) at Royal University and Saskatoon City Hospitals.
For pastoral visits, spiritual care, and/or hospital chaplaincy, including requests to see a priest at Royal University Hospital or Saskatoon City Hospital please call Jacqueline Saretsky at 306-292-5531 or e-mail jsaretsky@rcdos.ca or priest chaplain Fr. Benedict Arakkal at 306-371-7125.
For St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon, where Spiritual Care is a hospital priority, please ask at the nursing desk, or call 306-655-5000 and ask them to page Spiritual Care.
“Hope in Health Care” support group for health care professionals – INFORMATION
Horizons of Hope – CCCB’s workshop about palliative care and end of life – INFORMATION
“Being with…” Volunteer Training Nov. 9, 2024: ARTICLE
Question about medical / health ethics? For information or inquiries related to health ethics, plese contact the Catholic Health Association of Saskatchewan (CHAS) ethicist, Dr. Mary Heilman at mary.heilman@saskhealthauthority.ca or call Dr. Heilman at (306) 655-5197.
The diocesan Hospital Chaplaincy team, funded by the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, provides pastoral outreach at the two secular hospitals in the city of Saskatoon: Royal University Hospital and Saskatoon City Hospital. Because St. Paul’s Hospital is a Catholic hospital, their spiritual care program has existed since it opened, more than 100 years ago.
In addition to full-time chaplain/coordinator, Jacqueline Saretsky (Cell: 306-292-5531 or Office: 306-659-5839), the team includes priest chaplain Rev. Benedict Arakkal (Call 306-371-7125), and a number of other priests who cover calls on weekends.
Palliative Care / End of Life Issues:
Horizons of Hope: A Toolkit about Palliative Care for Catholic Parishes is available in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon – the goal is to have all parishes use the four-module program.
Jacqueline Saretsky, coordinator of Hospital Chaplaincy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon says: “Horizons of Hope is an inspiring and engaging resource, with theological, ethical, medical, and practical perspectives presented together in an accessible way – on a subject that touches us all.”
For more information, contact Jacqueline Saretsky at jsaretsky@rcdos.ca or (306) 659-5839.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) launched the toolkit prepared for parishes in November 2021 to address questions surrounding palliative care, dying, death, suffering, accompaniment, and bereavement, noting: “Our faith in Jesus Christ has much to teach us about living and dying well.”
Designed to help participants learn more about how to respond to the Christian call to provide compassionate care for loved ones at the end of life, the program offers reflection and support to anyone seeking to learn more about palliative care and the Catholic Church’s teaching on end-of-life; caregivers; those who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness; and family members who need resources and guidance as they journey with a loved one who is seriously or terminally ill; and parishioners and pastoral care teams.
“I am very excited about this resource for our parishes,” said Saretsky. “It is very well done, and it won’t overwhelm people, but will really encourage and inspire them.”
Four modules of the CCCB Horizons of Hope Toolkit for Catholic Parishes on Palliative Care. (Screen capture image from CCCB promo video)
The resource is presented over four learning modules. Themes include: understanding the human experience of dying and death, discerning and making decisions at the end of life, accompanying those on the journey and supporting and integrating within the wider community.
Each module features two videos. One short film tackles the topic from a medical perspective, while the other explores ethical and theological teachings.
Horizons of Hope video promotion:
“Finding the Gifts” was a video project funded by the Knights of Columbus. The Communications and Education sub-committee of a Bishop’s Advisory Group produced the videos hoping to capture the gift of life and hope that can be found even in difficult circumstances:
Dying Healed workshops:
The Dying Healed workshop teaches important issues about human suffering, human dignity and the power of human presence, as well as other end of life issues.
The Dying Healed workshop includes important pastoral and practical aspects of what to say, how to listen, and how to be with people who suffer illness, disability and loneliness. It is intended to be a preparatory training for those who would like to spend time with people who are elderly, ill, disabled and dying; those people who are the most vulnerable to the negative influences to Canada’s euthanasia and assisted suicide law.
Those interested in hosting a Dying Healed workshop can contact Jacqueline Saretsky at (306) 659-5839 or e-mail jsaretsky@rcdos.ca for more information.