Contact:  Christine Gerety,  Assistant Director of Pastoral Care & Outreach  |  310 566-1531  | 

At some point in each of our lives, we all experience difficult life challenges.  To help support one another through challenging times, St. Monica provides pastoral care opportunities to our parishioners and the broader community – if you have a compassionate heart and are a good listener, consider training to be  one of our pastoral care ministers.

If you’re interested in serving in any of these ministries, please contact Christine at the email listed above.

Eucharistic Minister to the Sick

Celebrating the Eucharist is at the very heart of our faith. However, because of illness or injury, many of our fellow Catholics in the Santa Monica area cannot join in the celebration. To ensure that these community members stay connected to us, St. Monica sponsors the Eucharistic Ministry to the Sick through which volunteers or Eucharistic ministers bring communion to Catholics in area nursing homes and convalescent centers, individual homes, and the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. These volunteers are a wonderful “invisible army” that works quietly, diligently, and lovingly to bring our Lord to those who could not otherwise receive communion. Training provided.

Click Here for the Eucharistic Minister Webpage.

Bereavement Ministers

Bereavement Ministers are individuals who use their excellent listening skills and compassionate hearts to support those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. They are involved with facilitating support groups, reaching out to the bereaved, and hosting the annual Mass of Remembrance. Because of the sensitive nature of the ministry, they must also complete a training program that includes content knowledge about the grieving process, active listening skills, and small group facilitation techniques.

Click Here for the Bereavement Ministry Webpage.

Phoenix Ministers

Phoenix Ministers are individuals who use their excellent listening skills and compassionate hearts to lead peer support groups for  women and men experiencing the emotional turmoil associated with separation, divorce, and annulment. Because of the sensitive nature of the ministry, they must also complete a training program that includes content knowledge about separation and divorce, active listening skills, and small group facilitation techniques.

Click Here for the Phoenix Ministry Webpage.

Stephen Ministers

A Stephen Minister actively participates in 50 hours of training on how to provide distinctively Christian care; commits as a child of God to meet once a week with a hurting person for up to one year; is a caring supporter who really listens, prays, explores feelings, and leaves the cure and results solely to God; and attends ongoing supervision meetings the first and third Monday evenings of each month to ensure the best possible care for his/her care receiver.

Each person who answers God's call to serve as a Stephen Minister is able, as a conduit of Christ's love, to have a positive impact on another person's life at a time when he/she needs someone to care. If you've been looking for a way to make a real difference in this hurting world, there's no better way than to join the Stephen Ministry here at St. Monica.

Click Here for the Stephen Ministry Webpage.