Every Tuesday morning after the 9 a.m. Mass at All Saints Parish in Alpena, a mission begins. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to the homebound gather near the tabernacle, receive consecrated hosts and prepare to carry the Eucharist to nursing homes, assisted living facilities and private homes throughout the community.
For Kathy Stepaniak, the ministry’s coordinator, the outreach reflects the heart of parish life. “The ministry exists so that elderly parishioners, the sick and those isolated by illness continue to feel connected to Christ and to their parish family,” she reflects.
Growing Together Through Change
When Alpena’s four Catholic parishes merged in 2015, the homebound ministries of several parish communities gradually came together to form a unified outreach. Volunteers brought cherished traditions, relationships and years of experience from their former parishes, creating new a ministry that became broader, stronger and more collaborative than any single parish could have sustained on its own.
What initially required patience, adjustment and trust eventually became a powerful witness to the strength that comes through unity in the Church. Rather than losing their ministries, parishioners discovered that by working together they could build something even more vibrant, compassionate and far-reaching than before.
“The shared mission ultimately deepened relationships among parishioners and strengthened the Church’s ability to care for the sick, elderly and isolated throughout the community,” reflects Kathy.
The ministry that exists today could not have come to be without the willingness of parishioners from several former parish communities to unite in faith and service. While each parish once carried out homebound ministry in its own way, the merger allowed volunteers to combine their gifts and talents into one coordinated outreach that now serves between 150 and 170 faithful.
Mary Damery reflects: “The people we serve are so very grateful to receive Our Lord in the holy Eucharist and to have a visit from someone who truly cares. The ministry forms deep relationships that often accompany people through illness, healing and even the final stages of life.”
Linda Wilson shares: “I am honored to be part of the homebound ministry. Seeing the joy on the residents’ faces when we arrive with the Body of Christ is a blessing every time.”
Father Aloysius Okpala, parochial vicar of All Saints Parish, echoes the sentiment: “The homebound ministry in our parish is a very powerful ministry because it demonstrates that we are all one family and nobody is forgotten or left behind.”
Carrying Christ Beyond Church Walls
After Mass, the ministry volunteers gather together to receive smaller consecrated hosts prepared specifically for the homebound. Each morning begins with the same prayer: Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation. We thank you for calling us to serve your holy people today. May we see you in them. May they see you in us. Grant this through Christ our Lord, Amen. Then, the volunteers set off on their visits.
Rhonda Romatz and Mary Charoth travel to MediLodge, where Rhonda leads a Communion service while Kathy Gorski, the activities director, proclaims the Gospel and Mary Charoth distributes Holy Communion.
“They are always so grateful for the visit and especially for the opportunity to receive the holy Eucharist,” Rhonda says. “Their joy and appreciation are deeply moving to all of us and have truly been a blessing in my own life as well.”
Mary Damery offers a powerful perspective on those encounters, sharing: “Jesus truly is present in the lonely, the sick, the abandoned, the dying and the frightened. My personal relationship with Jesus Christ is exponentially elevated through this ministry.”
No Faithful Soul Forgotten
Deacon Mike Roy and his sister, Sue Roy, serve residents at Greenview nursing home. Maureen and Scott McWilliams minister at Besser Senior Living on Thursdays, where Maureen plays guitar as Scott distributes holy Communion during a prayer service featuring eucharistic and Marian hymns, Scripture and seasonal music tied to the liturgical calendar.
The residents affectionately call this time “church” or “rosary,” informs Maureen. “We’ve grown so fond of the people,” she says. “It’s such a beautiful and rewarding ministry.”
The McWilliams also visit residents in their rooms if they cannot attend the service. Maureen recalls one resident who returned to the sacraments after years away from the Church. To give residents access to the sacraments, Father Emmanuel and Father Aloysius offer Mass, confession and anointing of the sick quarterly at each nursing home.
Over 30 people are also visited in their homes each week by dedicated volunteers. Ken and Joanne Bennett serve 14 faithful every Tuesday, including a blind woman for whom they prepare lunch.
The ministry extends beyond weekly Communion visits. “Members of the All Saints Catholic Women gather to create Easter and Christmas cards and small gifts, providing opportunities for fellowship and fun among the women of the parish,” Linda says.
At Turning Brook Retirement Community, residents gather regularly for a Communion service that includes Scripture readings, prayer intentions and the rosary. Ralph Stepaniak leads the rosary and has become well known among residents for repairing broken rosaries—a ministry affectionately referred to as “Ralph’s Rosary Repair.”
Some of the ministry’s most meaningful moments happen during quiet visits with the homebound. Ralph and Kathy reflect, “Through these encounters, we often feel that we are looking into the eyes of Jesus in those we serve.”
The ministry has taught Mary Damery “to meet people and accept them where they are in life.”
Kathy believes the ministry succeeds because volunteers serve with humility and faith. “Homebound ministry becomes a living expression of the Church’s mission, carrying Christ’s presence, peace and love into the homes and hearts of those who cannot come to him in person,” explains Kathy.
What began as several separate parish ministries has become one unified outreach that now strengthens parish life throughout the entire community. The ministry stands as a living example of how bringing parish communities together can create something even more beautiful, effective and life-giving than what existed before.
