Compassion
is the ability and the willingness to enter into the chaos, the pain, the suffering and the story of another allowing it to affect us though it were our own. When a reflex reaction causes us to help a stranger, with no motivation other than that person is in need, our compassion is in action. Compassion is not sympathy or pity: “The arch-enemy of compassion is pity. Pity puts distance between you and the person you are pitying. Compassion puts the two of you on the same level, enabling you to work together to change the situation, or at least to make it more bearable”. (Sr Ann Ward)
Palliative Care and Support
Palliative care is an important and specialised type of medical care that provides patients with relief from suffering or pain caused by long term or terminal illness no matter the diagnosis or stage of disease. Palliative care teams aim to improve the quality of life for both patients and their families.
Palliative care teams aim to improve the quality of life for both patients and their families.For many people, end of life care is difficult as the patient finds themself with little options. MMMs work to provide palliative care for people who need health services to cope with pain and to die with dignity. We work with people who have terminal illnesses like advanced stages of cancer or untreatable AIDS or who are very frail or elderly. Bringing comfort to people at this difficult time is something that we MMMs do with great care.
Much of what MMM does focuses on the ability to bring the healing charism to people in most need.
Pastoral care
MMMs offer care and support to members of the community who may need additional help in times of challenge or adversity. Providing Pastoral care involves enabling people to journey through difficulty and find healing and wholeness.
It can involve supporting a person who is in need of reconciliation or guidance. In providing pastoral care, an MMM is able to offer a new and nurturing perspective while supporting someone through a challenging process or time.
These services can be provided by an individual or as part of a community pastoral care team. Pastoral care can foster a culture of caring and nurturing to impact a school, hospital, home or neighborhood. It is an important part of the MMM ethos to provide pastoral care where it is needed.
