Christine Gerety, or (310) 566-1531.

Health Ministry at St. Monica promotes the spiritual health of the whole person and is supported by a Providence St. John’s Faith Community Nurse (Parish Nurse). Through a mind, body, and spirit approach, Health Ministry offers health and wellness information to our parish community. This approach expands and builds upon our parish’s traditional outreach of visitation to the sick, support groups, and referrals to community agencies.

Upcoming Events:

Health Ministry Retreat: July 30

Resilience: The Light of God's Love Entering Through the Cracks

Saturday, July 30

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

St. Monica Caruso Center

You’ve heard about the concept of resilience, but what exactly is it? According to psychologists, resilience is the “process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threat, or significant sources of stress.”

But resilience isn’t just about getting through tough times and bouncing back; it’s also about the opportunity to grow and ultimately make our lives better. And as Catholics, we know that God is at the heart of this process.

Come join us on July 30 to hear from Dr. Michael DiPaolo and Chaplain Blake Arnall as we explore ways to become more resilient in mind, body & spirit!

Registration: A light breakfast, lunch, and all retreat materials will be provided.

                                  Early Bird registration:                            $20 per person through July 15

                                  Regular registration:                                $25 through July 29

                                  At the door:                                               $30

Contact Christine at or 310-566-1531 to reserve your spot.
Online registration coming soon!

Our Speakers

Chaplain Blake Arnall is the Assistant Director of Spiritual Care at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center. He is an ACPE Certified Educator and a commissioned minister with the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). He holds a BFA from Art Center College of Design and a Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. He is a member of the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) and has been a Board Certified Chaplain since 2007. He completed his ACPE Certified Educator training at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. He has experience providing chaplaincy care to oncology, transplant and psychiatric patients and their family members. He has served on Palliative Care Teams and Ethics Committees for over ten years. Prior to joining UCLA Health, he was the Manager of Pastoral Education at Methodist Hospital of Southern California in Arcadia, California.

Dr. Michael DiPaolo is a clinical psychologist & certified Imago Relationship Therapist in private practice in West Los Angeles.  Dr DiPaolo integrates psychology and spirituality into his work with individuals and couples.  He has been active in many ministries as a St. Monica member for over 25 years, including counseling over 1,500 couples in marriage preparation.  Dr. DiPaolo is a frequent speaker, workshop presenter and retreat leader at parish and archdiocesan gatherings.  Dr. DiPaolo has been married to his wife Jennie for 21 years. They have 3 wonderful children, along with a hyperactive dog. He can be found online at www.DrMichaelD.com.

Red Cross Blood Drive

Thank you so much to everyone that participated - we will have more information coming soon on reaching our goal! #46pints 

Christine Gerety, or (310) 566-1531.

Health Ministry at St. Monica promotes the spiritual health of the whole person and is supported by a Providence St. John’s Faith Community Nurse (Parish Nurse). Through a mind, body, and spirit approach, Health Ministry offers health and wellness information to our parish community. This approach expands and builds upon our parish’s traditional outreach of visitation to the sick, support groups, and referrals to community agencies.

Upcoming Events:

 

Health Ministry Retreat: July 30

Resilience: The Light of God's Love Entering Through the Cracks

Saturday, July 30

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

St. Monica Caruso Center

 

You’ve heard about the concept of resilience, but what exactly is it? According to psychologists, resilience is the “process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threat, or significant sources of stress.”

But resilience isn’t just about getting through tough times and bouncing back; it’s also about the opportunity to grow and ultimately make our lives better. And as Catholics, we know that God is at the heart of this process.

Come join us on July 30 to hear from Dr. Michael DiPaolo and Chaplain Blake Arnall as we explore ways to become more resilient in mind, body & spirit!

 

Registration: A light breakfast, lunch, and all retreat materials will be provided.

                                  Early Bird registration:                            $20 per person through July 15

                                  Regular registration:                                $25 through July 29

                                  At the door:                                               $30

 

Contact Christine at or 310-566-1531 to reserve your spot.
Online registration coming soon!

 

 

 

Our Speakers

 

 

Chaplain Blake Arnall is the Assistant Director of Spiritual Care at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center. He is an ACPE Certified Educator and a commissioned minister with the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). He holds a BFA from Art Center College of Design and a Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. He is a member of the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) and has been a Board Certified Chaplain since 2007. He completed his ACPE Certified Educator training at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. He has experience providing chaplaincy care to oncology, transplant and psychiatric patients and their family members. He has served on Palliative Care Teams and Ethics Committees for over ten years. Prior to joining UCLA Health, he was the Manager of Pastoral Education at Methodist Hospital of Southern California in Arcadia, California.

 

 

Dr. Michael DiPaolo is a clinical psychologist & certified Imago Relationship Therapist in private practice in West Los Angeles.  Dr DiPaolo integrates psychology and spirituality into his work with individuals and couples.  He has been active in many ministries as a St. Monica member for over 25 years, including counseling over 1,500 couples in marriage preparation.  Dr. DiPaolo is a frequent speaker, workshop presenter and retreat leader at parish and archdiocesan gatherings.  Dr. DiPaolo has been married to his wife Jennie for 21 years. They have 3 wonderful children, along with a hyperactive dog. He can be found online at www.DrMichaelD.com.

 

Red Cross Blood Drive

Thank you so much to everyone that participated - we will have more information coming soon on reaching our goal! #46pints 

 

Quarterly Blood Drive

We heed the call for blood donations, as our nation continues to experience a critical shortage. The need for blood is a constant need. The Health Ministry team works with the American Red Cross for Blood Drives every quarter. 

 

Last year, our representative from the Red Cross sent us the following message:

 

St Monica Parishioners: THANK YOU! We are in the midst of a type O critical blood emergency (some areas have less than a 2-day supply) and our blood drive could not have come at a better time. The pints we collected at our May 19, 2021 St. Monica blood drive make an EXPONENTIAL impact as we struggle to meet our hospital and patient needs. We were able to collect 36 pints and save up to 108 lives! With less-than-anticipated collections in April and the current extreme weather in the mid-west, we anticipate a continued emergency. By rolling up our sleeves and giving part of our-selves away for people in need, we’ve truly made a significant impact in our communities across the city, state and nation.

 

Upcoming 2022 Blood Drive Dates:

Sunday, August 14
8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

 

 

Blood Drive Story Highlight

by Helen Brooks, Red Cross Volunteer

 

Sometimes through tears, Yesenia Miranda Meza, a Red Cross employee in the Red Cross Serving San Gabriel Pomona Valley Chapter, tells the story of her father contracting COVID-19 and then receiving convalescent plasma leading to his full recovery.   

  

[T]hrough the grace of God, Yesenia said, who she believed was working alongside hospital staff, Jesus started his road to recovery just two days later. Divine intervention and convalescent plasma had carried him through.  

Click Here to Read More About Yesenia and Jesus' Story.

Why Give Blood?

There are many reasons why someone would want to give blood. Here are a few stories collected from some of our Health Ministry volunteers [Anne-Marie, Dianna, Elena Jay, Josephine, Kristine, Lynn, Matt, Patricia, and Steve) during last year's Blood Drives. In sitting and chatting with people during their "recovery period" after giving blood, and while enjoying some snacks, they struck up conversations with people and they learned why some people chose to donate blood. For one parishioner, it's an expression of gratitude, for another it's a reminder and opportunity, and for yet another, it's an opportunity to honor her family legacy:

 

• One donor stated that she simply donates because she is able to. She's grateful for her health, and hopes that her donation can be of help to others.
  
  
• Another donor admitted that she had not donated for five years. But when he heard the announcement in Mass, he realized how easy it would be to give at our blood drive, and he quickly scheduled his appointment.
  
  
• A third donor was giving blood for the third time in honor of her deceased brother. She explained that they year before, her brother had passed away suddenly. In the process of cleaning out his apartment, she found numerous certificates of recongition for all the blood he had donated. A fact that she had never known about him. On the day of his memorial service, she saw that the church was having an upcoming blood drive. So, for the first time, she donated in remembrance of him.

These inspiring moments are jsut some of the stories that motivate our community to give and give again!

 

The last few years, we have either met or exceeded our goals. This year we hope you can be a part of the life-saving, yet simple way to give back to our community.

 

Email List

Stay informed about matters related to Health Ministry!

 

Click HERE to sign up for our ministry email list