The St. Charles Circle of Caring seeks to help individuals and families who are experiencing long-term illness and disability, death, and bereavement over the loss of a loved one.  Through its Homebound ministry, the Circle provides friendly visitors who visit regularly with the homebound just to say hello and let the person know that they remain a part of the St. Charles community even though they cannot get to the church regularly.  The friendly visitor will also bring Communion to the homebound and will help out in other ways, such as getting groceries.

Through its Spiritual Companion for the Dying ministry, the Circle walks with people in the final stages of life, and serves as the St. Charles presence for the dying person and their family during this difficult period.

The Circle of Caring Funeral Liturgy ministry, helps families plan a fitting tribute to their loved one through the funeral Mass or Memorial Mass.  Families are assisted in selecting readings and hymns and in composing Prayers of the Faithful that reflect the life and interests of the deceased.  The annual Mass of Remembrance also provides an opportunity for families of the deceased to remember those who have died.

The Circle of Caring periodically holds evenings of reflection for the bereaved, times for them to remember the deceased and to reflect on the grieving process they are living with.

Circle of Caring members have developed resources to support these ministries.  Those resources include:

• Nearing The End: Easter Reflections On Death And Life -- This reflection considers death in the context of our Easter mysteries.  It describes how the St. Charles Spiritual Companion accompanies the dying person and their family on the final stages of their journey in this life.
• Five Important Things To Say -- This brief flier suggests five things that dying people and their families often find important to say to each other, especially when they realize that their relationship as they know it is coming to an end.
• The Five Stages of Grieving -- Recognizing that in our culture we are not taught how to grieve or the importance of allowing ourselves to grieve, the Circle has prepared this brief flier using the work of Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross.
• Funeral Liturgy Planning -- A brief paper on the funeral liturgy, with some suggestions for readings, hymns, and Prayers of the Faithful.
• A Journey of Love -- A description of the St. Charles Spiritual Companion for the Dying ministry.