Pastoral ministry
Loreto Sisters are involved in a variety of chaplaincy, parish and pastoral care roles, accompanying people in times of difficulties, sharing their triumphs and being a part of their local community. These challenging and enriching roles require compassionate presence and sensitivity and are at the core of where Mary Ward wanted her followers to be: actively engaging with community.
“Our diverse ministries give expression to mission. They mirror Mary Ward’s desire for her companions to discern contemporary needs and address them, to live the Gospel values she so dearly prized.”
IBVM Constitutions Vol ii 2.6
Loreto Sisters work within local parishes, in varied roles from administrative duties through to organising retreats, providing counseling and support and helping families prepare for baptisms and marriages. Parish ministry generally means participating in the life of the parish and serving the needs of the people.
Loreto Sisters work as chaplains in general and children’s hospitals, accompanying people with compassion and sensitivity in times of crisis and loss. Their non-intrusive and gentle manner, coupled with their quiet listening and understanding, is often the first contact with the church that patients and families have had in many years.
Some Loreto Sisters work as chaplains or in educational support with young offenders and other groups in prison. The compassionate presence of volunteers who choose to stand with these people, who are often "out of sight and out of mind", continues the commitment of Jesus to be with those on the margins.
Sisters share their experiences in pastoral ministry