The Caring Council prayerfully extends the love of Christ in service to all people of the St. Thomas Becket family, and to our larger community as well. We provide physical, spiritual, and emotional support to meet individual needs.

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THE CARING COUNCIL

At a Sunday Mass each fall, we gather for the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.  Anyone physically, emotionally or spiritually ill or injured, anticipating or recovering from surgery or finding old age burdensome, are welcome to receive this sacrament.

If you'd like to help at this Mass, we welcome volunteers willing to offer support by placing a hand on the shoulder of a person receiving the Sacrament.  No advance experience or training is required.  Plan to arrive at the service about 15 minutes early and instructions will be given upon arrival.

If you'd like to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, no advance reservations or planning is required.  Attend the service and follow the instructions given by the presider.

Check the bulletin or website or listen to Mass announcements in October for details on how to volunteer at the service or receive the sacrament.

OUR COMMUNION TO THE HOMEBOUND PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY ON HOLD DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS.

Our Communion to the Homebound ministers bring the Eucharist to parishioners who are unable to attend weekly Mass due to illness or other limitations.

No prior experience is required, training is provided prior to your first home visit and you can deliver Communion once or as frequently as you'd like.  Volunteers should allow about an hour for each visit to obtain the Eucharist, share Communion with the homebound individual as part of a short prayer service and visit with the homebound person.

Volunteers are required to complete Archdiocese Essentials 3 (E3) Training.  For information on what's involved in E3, check the Become a Volunteer web page.

OUR FUNERAL MINISTRY IS OPERATING ON A LIMITED CAPACITY DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS.

Our Funeral Ministry is a wonderful, supportive and welcoming ministry St. Thomas Becket.  Funerals bring a significant number of guests to our facility and provide an opportunity for us to extend our warm, supportive welcome to first-time visitors and parishioners alike.

The funeral ministry includes greeting funeral guests, acting as an usher during the service and hosting a luncheon buffet after the service.  These varied roles typically take under two hours and require no advance training.  Some volunteers roles may be done at your convenience (i.e. luncheon table set-up and take-down) and some are at set times.  We welcome volunteers of all ages.

Volunteer sign ups are typically included in the funeral announcement e-bulletin and are posted on the website, see the Home or Funeral pages for details on upcoming funerals. 

Growing Through Loss Coalition-South Suburbs

Our Growing Through Loss (GTL) Coalition, South Suburbs representative attends about four coalition meetings a year and helps with the Fall and Spring series sessions.

GTL consists of 16 churches in the south suburban Minneapolis-St. Paul area and provides support for adults who have experienced loss from the death of a loved one, as well as other losses such as loss of job, health, and relationships.  They offer a Fall and Spring series that runs weekly for 4 or 5 weeks.

No prior experience is required.  Knowledge of local grief resources and presenters is helpful for the planning of the twice-yearly sessions.

Rev. August 16, 2021

The Mass of Remembrance is a moving service in early November celebrating the lives of our deceased.  

Volunteers at this Mass help with candle/environment set-up before Mass, assist parishioners before, during and after the Mass as needed, and help pack up after the service.  Volunteers are welcome to help once or annually as desired.  There's no prior experience or training required.  Volunteers should expect to arrive about 30 minutes before Mass and stay less than 30 minutes after.

Prayer is powerful!  The St. Thomas Becket prayer line receives prayer requests and distributes those requests to a prayer team.

If you are interested in joining our prayer team, we request a one month minimum commitment for about 5-10 minutes a day.  You will receive prayer requests via email.  We also welcome those who would like to help coordinate our prayer line.  Again, it's a minimal daily commitment, but we'd like a 1 year commitment.

Love to knit or crochet and want to use that gift to make a difference in someone's life?  Have a strong interest to learn in a supportive environment?  Join our prayer shawl squad!

Dedicated parishioners knit or crochet prayers shawls, mittens and scarves.  The prayer shawls are distributed to families who have lost a loved one.  Recipient(s) wrap themselves in the prayer shawl and feel the comfort and prayers woven into the them.  The shawls convey to the family that their STB community cares about the deceased person and his/her loved ones.  The mittens and scarves are distributed to our friends at The Higher Ground (St. Paul).  Our artists create their wares and pray for the recipients.

OUR SENIOR LIVING MINISTRY IS CURRENTLY ON HOLD DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS.

Our Senior Living Ministers bring the Eucharist to local senior living facilities in the area, Inver Glen, New Perspective, and Stonehaven, through Word/Communion services. 

Volunteers in this ministry may either lead the Word service or read the readings (Lector) during the service.  Training is provided and the commitment is 1-2 ours per month, service days/times vary depending upon the location.  Or if you're not ready to commit to the Word service, you could help by coordinating volunteers behind the scenes and at your convenience!

If you'd like to bring the Eucharist to and support and build relationships with local seniors, we welcome you!  

Our Sunshine Senders live the mission to love, to serve and to be hope, through a card writing ministry.  Sunshine Senders write cards to parishioners who are sick, lost a loved one or just need to know that someone is thinking of them.

Sunshine Senders receive contact information for parishioners who could use a card and then write and send the card at their convenience.  If you'd like to support others in times of need from the comfort of your home (and people can read your handwriting), we welcome you to this ministry!