Prayer is very important in the lives of many older people. And although this spiritual communion with God is an extremely personal act of worship in any religious faith, people of all ages enjoy sharing the comfort, joy and the feeling of Divine blessing that comes from taking part in a communal prayer meeting, whether it is held in a church, temple, mosque or synagogue – or even in someone’s home.
When old age or illness makes it difficult for people to leave their homes, they have in the past been deprived of the opportunity of attending church and taking part in this form of communal worship. But when a group of Roman Catholic ladies from North London found themselves in this situation in 2003, they decided not to let their circumstances stop them from participating in prayer meetings. So they sought help from In Touch, a telephone-befriending scheme run by Camden Council in conjunction with Community Network.
"PRAYERS ARE ALSO SAID FOR THE SICK, THE HUNGRY AND THE HOMELESS"
The result was the In Touch Prayer Group which links up every Friday afternoon for half an hour. Each telephone prayer group follows a familiar pattern. At an appointed time the ladies each receive a call from one of Community Network’s operators who connects them to the others in the group. A trained facilitator will greet each member and engage them in short conversation to ascertain how they’re feeling and what type of week they’ve had. Prayers follow.
"MEMBERS OF THE GROUP - HAVE NOW BECOME GOOD FRIENDS"
Group members take it in turns to say a prayer from the printed prayer leaflet that is provided to all members of the group when they join. These include the Rosary and the Devotion To Our Lady, but prayers are also said for the sick, the hungry and the homeless.
But providing a forum for this group of older people to share a spiritual interest has produced other benefits. At present the members of the group vary in age from 65 to 83; and although they’d previously attended different churches and did not know each other, they have now become good friends.
"TO REDUCE THE SENSE OF ISOLATION THAT MANY HOUSEBOUND PEOPLE EXPERIENCE"
“I know all the members of the group look forward to Friday afternoons, often rearranging appointments so as not to miss it,” says Joy Fraser, Project Manager of the In Touch scheme.
“Over the years it has become noticeable how these short weekly prayer meetings have created a sense of community for the group members, providing comfort and companionship and the feeling that others care. This in turn serves to reduce the sense of isolation that many housebound people experience.”
"PROVIDE SOCIAL CARE AS WELL AS SPIRITUAL COMFORT"
On one occasion the group even came to the aid of one of its fellow members when they were in difficulty. After the lady had failed to answer her phone for the prayer meeting the other group members were immediately worried, for no one could recall her saying she was being taken out by her family or attending a hospital appointment.
The group facilitator contacted the lady’s son, who on arriving at his mother’s house discovered she had fallen and was unable to get up. Fortunately she was not seriously hurt and made a full recovery. But this incident clearly illustrates how telephone-befriending groups can provide social care as well as spiritual comfort.
