St. Francis Xavier Catholic Community in Phoenix, Arizona announced that it is set to host a pastoral care opportunity on learning about dementia.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Aug. 25, the church invited the public to attend the event to learn more about dementia and helpful resources.
According to the church’s post, the event will be held on Sunday, Sept. 24 with a mass to begin at 8 a.m., registration and continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m., and the presentation begins at 9 a.m.
The church said the participants would understand dementia and how it progresses from early to advanced stages.
It added that they will learn to develop strategies to make and maintain meaningful connections with the person with dementia.
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Community said further value the caregiver role and explores ways to reduce stress.
There is no cost to attend, according to the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Community.
Speaker for Pastoral Care
According to the church, Dr. Maribeth Gallagher will be the speaker at the event. Gallagher directs the Hospice of the Valley’s Dementia Program.
She has received national and international awards for her innovative approaches to dementia care, the church said.
It added that she is a psychiatric nurse practitioner with a doctoral degree in nursing.
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Community said Gallagher's commitment to improving dementia care was initially inspired by her own experience as a family caregiver and sharing the journey with her loved one from diagnosis to death.
Interested readers may visit St. Francis Xavier Catholic Community’s Facebook post for more information.
Church’s Background
The sole Jesuit parish in the Diocese of Phoenix is St. Francis Xavier Parish, according to the church's website.
The church, which is run by the Jesuit Fathers of the Jesuit West Province (jesuitswest.org), said it has been a recognizable representation of the Catholic religion for close to 90 years.
It said its faith community is booming, currently assisting thousands more through our numerous ministries in addition to the more than 5,000 registered homes.
The church considers St. Francis Xavier Elementary School as its most important ministry. It is the only Jesuit elementary school in Arizona, serving 650 students annually from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade while combining Ignatian spirituality and Jesuit traditions, according to the church.
They strive to be loving, open to change, intellectually competent, spiritually committed, and committed to doing justice in their studies. Their goal is to establish "Kids for Others," the church added.
The church said at one of the 94 parishes and 23 missions, the faithful attend services, partake in the sacraments, and engage in a wide range of extracurricular pursuits.
In the Diocese of Phoenix, there are 29 Catholic primary schools, seven Catholic high schools, three universities, and one seminary that are attended by more than 15,000 students, according to the church.
More than 70 community and charitable groups are able to offer practical assistance to seniors, the homeless, people who have lost their jobs, women who have been abused, and families in need because of the community's tremendous support of the Charity and Development Appeal, the church said.
More stories from Crossmap:
Midtown Presbyterian Church in Phoenix, Arizona to hold retreat for women
.webp)
