| In Your Midst | THE PEW NEXT TO YOU |
Fall 2000 |
| In This
Issue: |
Nancy soon began the five-month training sessions for the Cabrini Pastoral Ministry. Her first assignment was to provide companionship to Eileen O’Neil at Mount St. Vincent. Eileen’s sister, Nora, had been secretary to Archbishop Thomas A. Connolly, and she had good stories she loved to tell. Soon Nancy convinced Tom he should come along too. The weekly visits with this octogenarian quickly developed into a close friendship among the three. Nancy and Tom celebrated Eileen’s 85th birthday with a party in their home.
Eileen died November 16, 1996. Father Michael G. Ryan and Sister Anne Herkenrath had known of the McCarthys’ friendship with Eileen and after her death, they asked Tom and Nancy if they would consider including all the St. James parishioners living at Mount St. Vincent’s their ministry.
Since 1995, Nancy and Tom make Wednesdays very special for a group of seniors (all St. James Alums). They gather in the residence chapel for the 9:30 AM Mass and then it is on to the cafeteria for treats, conversation, and tall tales. Nancy and Tom keep the group up-to-date on St. James events by bringing copies of the weekly bulletin, quarterly calendars and this journal, In Your Midst.
Nancy and Tom agree it isn’t always easy to see one of this group become even more frail and at last go home to God, but they will tell you how much they received from them. For these are part of our beloved Communion of Saints who will be remembered by name in prayer at the Mass on All Souls Day at the Cathedral.
Joan McDonell is a St. James Cathedral parishioner, a member of the Development Committee and a retired Seattle Times editor.