I
THE STEPHEN MINISTR Providing
n the book of Acts, the twelve apostles realize that having immersed themselves in spreading the Gospel and building God’s Church, they have sometimes neglected to provide immediate, personal care to some of the most vulnerable individuals among them. Thus, they ask seven men to fulfill this essential role, with St. Stephen the first to be commissioned for this type of ministry. Today, thanks to the Stephen Ministries, laypeople around the world can answer this Gospel call to serve others in a very special way. Pastoral Associate Sister Lucy Clynes first had the inspiration to bring the Stephen Ministry to our parish a couple of years ago. Recognizing a need for more intensified support for our lay pastoral ministers, she approached the diocesan Office of Family Life about bringing this ministry here. This year, Our Lady Star of the Sea is blessed to be one of several parishes to receive a grant through the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese for the establishment of a Stephen Ministry in our parish. As Sr. Lucy explains, this ministry is primarily one of accompaniment. “The Stephen Ministry provides training and then support to those who will go out to the homes and the LouAnne Hawkins (pictured here with her children, Annie and Wil) prisons,” she says. “It’s providing that listening ear and is the parish lead for our new Stephen Ministry. understanding heart as we’re invited to do as a Church, bringing the Eucharist and maybe even connecting people pastoral care. Today, congregations in all 50 United States with some services. The Holy Father says we have to be a and 30 other countries have Stephen Ministry programs. Church of accompaniment, so it’s a way of accompanying This fall, parishioner LouAnne Hawkins attended a these minsters as they offer others support.” five-week virtual training session through the St. Louis The Stephen Ministries organization was founded in Stephen Ministries office to become the “parish point 1973 by the Reverend Dr. Kenneth Haugk. As a pastor person” for this ministry at Our Lady Star of the Sea. with a graduate degree in clinical psychology, Dr. Haugk LouAnne is a natural fit for the role, having a higher was passionate about providing quality, personal care to education degree in counseling and a background as a parishioners who were hurting. When he realized that professor of research methods for psychology. What’s he, as just one individual, was unable to meet the needs more, LouAnne recently completed the diocesan of his entire congregation, he began training laypeople in ministry formation program.
4
