Reflecting on the call to love the sick and infirm on the World Day of the Sick
By Teresa Rodriguez
Lynn never imagined that after 54 years of marriage, she and her husband, Jim, would be navigating the challenges of memory care.
“We didn’t expect to be where we are today,” she shared. “But Jim has made it bearable.”
He remains content and at peace, knowing he is loved.
Their journey has been one of suffering and blessings. As Jim’s health declined due to dementia, loss of mobility, repeated falls and hospital stays, they faced heartbreaking realities. Jim, a lifelong engineer who thrived on problem-solving and precision, could no longer do the things he excelled at.
The cross of his illness was also a trial for Lynn, whose love and devotion to Jim could not spare her from the exhaustion of caregiving. Like so many spouses and families in this situation, she carries a heavy burden with needing to place Jim in a care facility.
“We don’t expect aging to happen,” Lynn reflected, “and we certainly don’t expect the ways it can change our lives. In our minds, we still feel like we’re in our twenties, but our bodies don’t keep up.”
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Yet even amid the hardships, Lynn saw God’s hand at work. Jim remained peaceful, embracing the love of his family with trust. Lynn, too, found purpose beyond the suffering. As a Rosary Team volunteer, she realized that starting a new Rosary Team in Jim’s memory care facility would be one small way to bring God’s love not only to Jim but to the other residents as well.
“It wasn’t just for them,” Lynn admitted. “I needed it, too. Praying the Rosary every night has already helped me navigate the changes in life I couldn’t control, and I knew the Rosary would bring comfort to the residents.”
When Lynn joined The Rosary Team at Columbine Gardens two years ago, she immediately felt at home.
“The residents were so appreciative,” Lynn recalled. “It felt like such a privilege to bring them the Rosary.”
Her teammates, Terry Poste and Karen Majewski, are the constant team at Columbine Gardens. At the same time, Lynn cares for her husband and starts a new Rosary team for his community at Clermont Park Senior Living.
“When the residents saw the Rosary on the calendar, they were so thankful. It was like they had been waiting for something like this,” she shared.
Through the Rosary and this ministry, Lynn’s own faith deepened. She received the sacraments, attended retreats and found strength in her parish community at Light of the World in Littleton and Father Matt Book, the parish’s pastor. Through it all, she saw how God was preparing her for this season of life — teaching her that suffering, when united to Christ’s Passion, is not meaningless but redemptive.
On this World Day of the Sick, instituted by Pope St. John Paul II, a day set aside by the Church to recognize the suffering of the sick and offer prayers for healing, Lynn can’t help but see how Jim’s illness, though painful, was not a sign of God’s absence but rather an opportunity to trust in his providence.
“Caring for Jim has shown me that illness doesn’t have to be just about hardship,” she said. “It can also be about love, about being present for one another, and about trusting in God’s greater plan.”
Through her faith and the Rosary, Lynn has found a way to transform the struggles of caregiving into surrender to God, trusting in his immense goodness.
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There are 20 Rosary Teams in the Denver Archdiocese waiting for teammates to complete teams. Volunteers pray weekly in teams of two on the same day and time at a nursing home near their home. Over 400 volunteers actively pray on Rosary Teams within the Archdiocese, bringing prayer and companionship to the elderly. With help from the volunteers, these seniors pray over 75,000 rosaries per year for each other and our world. Over 50,000 care facilities exist in the United States. Many volunteers and donors are needed to complete this ministry of prayer. You are invited to join! For more information, email contact@therosaryteam.org or visit therosaryteam.org.
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