Good evening District 27. One of the many blessings I have had since 2012 has been to take communion to the Catholic residents at the local nursing home in Martin until it closed in October 2023. See the posted article published in the West River Catholic (November 2023, p. 24).
As a Lay Ecclesial Minister of the Diocese of Rapid City, I brought spiritual comfort to those in the nursing home who were mostly forgotten. I would deliver communion typically on Thursday mornings right after the residents ate breakfast and then pray a rosary, a divine mercy chaplet, or stations of the cross (during Lent) with the residents. It was one of the greatest gifts that I received as a Catholic: To minister to the residents of the Bennett County Nursing Home who were unable to attend mass, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, when there were lockdowns, and no one was allowed to enter the nursing home.
I will never forget those days. I walked the hallways to gather the residents to come to the communion service in the activity room. There was always one resident with a big smile on her face ready to go when she saw me. There were many times when I departed the nursing home that I felt like the residents nourished me more than I nourished them. There was a great peace and solace as I walked home knowing I had done God's work in his vineyard.
It was a great grace to receive as I watched many residents who were about to pierce the veil of death only to hold on dearly to what was most important to them...their belief in the Real Presence. I will never forget bringing communion to one resident who was about to die and then a week later, he was up and about miraculously wheeling around in the wheelchair throughout the hallways of the nursing home. It assured me that God does answer our prayers when one has a deep faith and trust in God. This brings me to my final point. As a man of faith, I still need to put my complete trust in the Lord. As anyone knows, this is not easy when one wants to completely control the situation. I recognize that whether I win or lose this election, it's God's will, not my own if a favorable outcome is to be desired. With that, it is my hope you have a good week filled with many blessings. God bless.
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