Sister Alice Schoettelkotte
After 30 years of full time ministry in spiritual care services at The Maria-Joseph Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Dayton, Ohio, I began part time spiritual care volunteer ministry in 2014. While serving people of all faith backgrounds, my ministry focuses particularly on those who have dementia. Twice a month I serve as primary facilitator for the Alzheimer’s Support Group which is offered for family members and caregivers of those living with dementia and regularly I visit with those who have dementia.
For Catholic services in the Chapel, I represent and oversee the Catholic response, serve as a Communion distributor both in the Chapel and in some resident rooms, cantor weekly, and otherwise assist as needed in the liturgy. I regularly update a prayer list on the Chapel bulletin board for new residents of all faiths and for those who are hospitalized. The names of those who have expired are added to the Book of Life, also maintained in the Chapel.
Additionally, for the Protestant residents, I remind them about weekly services in the Chapel, assist some in getting to the services, visit and offer encouragement and a supportive, listening presence.
Besides serving the residents, I present to new employees the history and values of The Maria-Joseph Center, encouraging them to give of themselves as Jesus totally gave of Himself for all of us, even to the point of shedding His blood for us.
The primary purpose of my volunteer ministry is to bring Christ and His message as given in the Gospels, into focus for residents, staff, other volunteers and visitors through availability and a warm, welcoming presence that respects the dignity and value of each individual. Promoting greater inclusiveness of people of differing religious, racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, maintaining that we are all members of God’s family, called to live and work together in harmony, is a major goal of my ministry. Spiritual care also calls me “to assist residents to resolve issues related to God, religion, church, family, physical or emotional challenges and thus come to a deeper sense of interior peace and joy.”