Welcome to all current and future Ministers of Care
What is Ministry of Care?
Ministers of Care bring communion, prayer, and compassion to the sick and homebound. We are commissioned by our Bishop through the Parish Pastor to be witnesses to the suffering of our members and to follow the Gospel message to care for those who cannot care for themselves.
The Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis concluded on November 20, 2016. The Pope's message to us at conclusion was: Mercy must continue to be celebrated and lived out in our communities. Mercy cannot become a mere parenthesis in the life of the Church. Pope Francis’ original message to us continues to be relevant: The Holy Year must keep alive the desire to know how to welcome the numerous signs of the tenderness which God offers to the whole world and, above all, to those who suffer, who are alone and abandoned, without hope of being pardoned or feeling the Father’s love. (From the Vatican’s translation of the prepared text of the pope’s brief homily at vespers for Divine Mercy Sunday 4/11/2015)[1]
Read the full text of Pope Francis' original message
Read the Apostolic Letter Misericordia et Misera at the conclusion of the Jubilee of Mercy
Pope Francis addressed the audience in St. Peter's square on November 9th 2016 with these words:
Let us not fall into indifference, but become instruments of God’s mercy. All of us can be instruments of God’s mercy, and this will do more good to us than to others because mercy passes through a gesture, a word, a visit, and this mercy is an act of restoring the joy and dignity which has been lost.
The Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis concluded on November 20, 2016. The Pope's message to us at conclusion was: Mercy must continue to be celebrated and lived out in our communities. Mercy cannot become a mere parenthesis in the life of the Church. Pope Francis’ original message to us continues to be relevant: The Holy Year must keep alive the desire to know how to welcome the numerous signs of the tenderness which God offers to the whole world and, above all, to those who suffer, who are alone and abandoned, without hope of being pardoned or feeling the Father’s love. (From the Vatican’s translation of the prepared text of the pope’s brief homily at vespers for Divine Mercy Sunday 4/11/2015)[1]
Read the full text of Pope Francis' original message
Read the Apostolic Letter Misericordia et Misera at the conclusion of the Jubilee of Mercy
Pope Francis addressed the audience in St. Peter's square on November 9th 2016 with these words:
Let us not fall into indifference, but become instruments of God’s mercy. All of us can be instruments of God’s mercy, and this will do more good to us than to others because mercy passes through a gesture, a word, a visit, and this mercy is an act of restoring the joy and dignity which has been lost.
TRAINING INFO / Recent NewsFind out more about becoming a Minister of Care(MOC) at the St. Thomas the Apostle(STA) parish in Hyde Park:
Monthly meetings are on the third Saturday of the month (In Person Meetings are temporarily suspended due to COVID 19.) MOC Training Classes Are temporarily suspended due to COVID 19 For more information please contact Sharon Dobbs at sadobbs@gmail.com, or you may call the STA parish secretary at 773-324-2626. Upcoming Catholic Theological Union Events Send an email for more information:
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About the author:Sharon Dobbs BCC is currently a Staff Chaplain at Northwestern Medical supporting Cardiac patients and the staff caring for them. She was awarded Board Certification from the National Association of Catholic Chaplains in November 2019. Sharon graduated from Catholic Theological Union with an MA in Pastoral Studies in 2016. She worked as a technologist for over 40 years, is an amateur photographer, and a Minister of Care Coordinator for St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Hyde Park Chicago. This web site reflects her interests and passion in these fields and was her final capstone project as part of the Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies(MAPS) at CTU. More information on the MAPS program at CTU.
All photography is the property of Sharon Dobbs. View full gallery 
Sharon Dobbs BCC MAPS
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