Compassionate Care

Many students or staff members experience life-threatening illness or death in their families.  The Chaplain will usually call the family, visit the hospital or funeral home, attend the funeral Mass, and send a Mass card obtained from St. Leonard's or St. Anne's parishes.

Information is only shared with the wider community with the consent of the student or staff member involved - all details are handled as discreetly as possible.  E.g. Names are not announced in the morning prayer/announcements unless the student has given the go-ahead. 

Student Council has allocated a large sum of money to pay for Mass cards and care packages for students in need.  Our Hearts and Flowers rep, Mary Ferlisi, pays for and delivers the staff Mass cards.  Attendance secretary, Gina Gelsomini, informs the chaplain of student absences due to reported illness or death in the family.

We will start a bereavement support group for students who have experienced the death of a loved one, whether many years ago or recently.  The group will meet discreetly on a tumbling schedule to cover all periods of the school day, once a week for at least 6-10 weeks, in the chapel.  The group may begin immediately before the Christmas holidays.

The Book of Remembrance available in our chapel in the month of November, and the annual staff mass at the start of November are other initiatives in the bereavement ministry.