This week is National Palliative Care Week, a time to recognise the work of Cabrini’s palliative care teams who bring comfort, peace and healing, and above all compassion.
Here are two wonderful examples of our care:
In our specialist palliative care ward, music and compassion are used every day to support patients and families as they navigate end of life. Wendy Snook, Harp Therapist, is one of 4 South Nurse Unit Manager Nicola Lowrie’s important team members.
“I learned pretty early on when I started playing the harp that there’s something about the sound of the harp that affects our bodies in a positive way for our wellbeing and our healing,” Wendy, a cancer survivor herself, said. “It’s a great privilege to be with patients and families during difficult times.”
Wendy’s presence on the ward is a true gift – one supported by a kind Cabrini
Foundation donor – but she is just one of the many people who contributes to this extraordinary care.
So too is Pastoral Practitioner Alexandra Wilde, who last week gave a patient the “best day” of her life.
“The family of a terminally ill patient requested a living wake for their mother, Evelyn, who was expected to pass away soon,” Alexandra said.
“Within 24 hours, with the support of a number of people from around Cabrini, we were able to get everything organised and had about 40 people turn up to celebrate
Evelyn’s life, which she told me was the best day of her life.
“Evelyn died the next day with her family at her bedside, at peace.”
we not all feel the excitement in the air as we celebrate with the Church and the world the discernment and election of Pope Leo XIV? It is not yet 24 hours but already his words speak to us and cause to rise up within us a sense of expectant hope. I would like to share some of his words that have touched my heart and offer the world hope:
As a part of its outreach, members of the Cabrini Immigration Commission of the Guadalupe Province, with thanks to Commission Chair Karol Brewer and Commission member Dr. Susan Pierson, have established a partnership with three school districts in southern Chester County, PA: Avon Grove, Kennett Square and Oxford that each serves a large population of children from immigrant families.
The staff of the National Shrine of St. Frances X. Cabrini and staff members from the Generalate Offices in Chicago, met for an afternoon of input from married couple Michelle Sherman and Nick Rademacher. In this year proclaimed a Pilgrimage of Hope, they underscored the impact of Pope Francis, Mother Cabrini and a Sacred Heart Spirituality.
For two days last week St. Frances Cabrini Shrine served as a drop-off point for our neighbors who wished to donate gently-used clothing and housewares. Volunteers sorted the items and all items were transported to the Uptown Free store, a pop-up event with the motto, “Take what you need, give what you can.”
intake, he was referred for social services after sharing that he was feeling emotionally overwhelmed and struggling to navigate complex public systems alone. What began as a search for legal help became a turning point in his journey toward healing and self-advocacy. “When I started the case with you, my priorities changed,” he said. “I learned a lot about myself. I gained tools to overcome challenges, and I appreciated learning how to count on myself. You made me realize my own potential and that I have it in me.”