CHARLOTTE — At St. Matthew Parish, ministering to both body and spirit are top priorities. For years, parishioners have enjoyed spiritually enriching educational programs in addition to its 100-plus ministries. Now the parish has established a health ministry, aimed to promote wellness and provide education by connecting parishioners to community resources.
In an effort to provide health-focused initiatives for St. Matthew parishioners, the parish has entered into a partnership with Atrium Health and its Faith Community Nursing Program.
Sandy Farrelly, who chairs the new health ministry committee, has been a nurse for 40 years. The first step she and her committee took was to hire a part-time Atrium Health Faith Community Nurse, Maryanne White, to work directly with the parish.
“I presented the idea of faith community nursing some 10 years ago, but it just wasn’t the right time,” Farrelly said. “This is a great place to have parish nurses. This ministry has such potential to expand and with Atrium we will have access to more resources. I’m really excited about that!”
“It’s wonderful to be a nurse in your own faith,” said White, who has been in nursing for 48 years and a member of the parish for the past 30 years. “It’s a chance to combine my faith with health. It’s wonderful to be working in my own parish and to be the first nurse at St. Matthew.”
Faith community nursing was formally recognized as a specialty by the American Nurses Association in 1998. A faith community nurse is required to complete an approved basic preparatory training to support holistic health and provide spiritual care for people connected to a house of worship.
White will coordinate programs at St. Matthew Parish in cooperation with the health ministry committee. Currently the committee has a survey posted online for parishioners to respond to. Once the results are in and an understanding of the needs of the parish can be gleaned, specific programs will be scheduled at both the church’s Ballantyne and Waxhaw locations.
“We do a wonderful job of meeting spiritual needs at the parish, and we have a great counseling center,” said parish ministry leader Deacon Joe Becker. “Physical needs are what we wanted to turn to next, and to do it from a faith-based perspective.”
He explained that the faith community nurse is not intended to be a one-on-one healthcare provider, but rather someone who can connect parishioners, such as the elderly, with community resources.
“What we’re trying to do is to be present to our parishioners in a way that can help them with whatever unmet needs they have,” Deacon Becker added.
Last month, as part of the parish health and wellness education and outreach efforts, White conducted an orientation program on CPR, AED use, and what to do if someone is choking. On Saturday, March 25, she will offer blood pressure checks after the 4 p.m. Mass at St. Matthew’s Waxhaw location.
Father John Allen, St. Matthew’s pastoral administrator, is pleased with the new ministry and faith community nurse partnership. “Since our spiritual life and spiritual health involves both body and soul, I am delighted that St. Matthew is partnering with Atrium Health to provide a parish nurse and wellness opportunities for our parishioners,” he said.
St. Matthew Parish joins Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Charlotte in offering a Faith Community Health Ministry. St. James the Greater Parish in Concord also has a parish nurse to assist parishioners with their healthcare needs and offer educational programs at the parish.
Learn more
For more information about St. Matthew Parish’s health ministry or survey, check the parish bulletin online at www.stmatthewcatholic.org; or email Maryanne White, faith community nurse, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
— SueAnn Howell