Caring for the Whole Person
helping people plan for end-of-life care
providing support and resources
Upcoming Events
Full description of workshops below.
Advance Health Care Planning Workshop
Day: Saturday, March 8
Time: 10 am-12 pm
Location: Bay Room
Palliative and Hospice Care Workshop
Day: Saturday, March 22
Time: 12:30 - 2:30 pm
Location: Bay Room
What is CWP?
CWP stands for Caring for the Whole Person and is an initiative of Saint Brigid Parish and the Diocese of San Diego, in partnership with the California Catholic Conference. It is designed for people planning for end-of-life care.
What is the mission of CWP?
Our mission is to provide spiritual accompaniment to all parishioners and their families, by being present and offering compassionate support and resource referrals in times of sickness, suffering, and for approaching the end of life. Additional goals include:
- Helping people who have questions about what the Church says about caring for someone at the end of their life
- Helping parishioners be prepared, before they become terminally ill, for end-of-life issues and everyday matters such as wills, bills to pay, and taking care of pets, etc.
Lay Ministers establish a supportive community for the parishioner and family in need by:
- Helping parishioners and families understand care at the end of life
- Finding appropriate resources regarding health care, legal, and ethical issues
- Providing Holy Communion and compassionate fellowship through our home ministry
- Assisting with pre-planning a funeral
- Providing assistance with completing an Advance Health Care Directive
- Providing grief and bereavement support
Priests, Deacons, and parish staff care pastorally for parishioners and their families by:
- Providing spiritual care for the sick and dying in their home, by being present, witnessing, and supporting
- Providing Anointing of the Sick, Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the Holy Eucharist
- Helping parishioners and families understand care at the end of life
- Assisting with funeral planning
In need of support or interested in helping? Fill out our interest form below or contact Mary Pat.
From Here to Eternity
with Fr. Steve
Physical, psychosocial, and spiritual perspectives of dying. Preparing for this transition often bring comfort to oneself, family, and friends. Topics include how we die, the dying process, and helpful interventions. Spirituality of Dying will include how to live well so as to die well, befriending death, ethical, and religious directives and rites
and rituals.
Advance Health Care Planning Workshop
These documents are called ‘peace of mind’ documents because that is what they provide. In this document you designate a trusted person who will make health care decisions for you IF you are not able to make them yourself. In California anyone over the age of 18 is eligible. The POLST (Physician’s Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) offers choices in interventions regarding emergency treatment. Planning for your future health care allows you to have choices when the time comes
that treatment is needed.
Palliative and Hospice Care
Palliative and Hospice Care are “gifts” that are available to improve the quality of life for ourselves and our loved ones in case of a serious illness.
Palliative Care "what matters to you?" not "what is the matter with you?" It is available at “any age, any stage any disease”
Hospice Care focuses on resources for end of life care.
Resources related to caring for the whole person
Explore resources below including
- The Whole Person website is a great place to start to learn more about Palliative and Hospice Care, get caregiver resources, find Advance Health Care Directive, and download the POLST Form (Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment)
- 5 Wishes is an Advance Care Planning resource in digital ($15) or paper-based form ($5)
- The Conversation Project provides tips for having an end-of-life discussion with loved ones
- Explore Catholic Teaching about End-of-Life Care (EOL) on the Embracing Our Dying website
- Learn how to write an ethical will
- Buy the I'm Dead, Now What? planning workbook via Amazon
- Copies of some resource articles are available in the Parish Office