Location: Versailles, France (Province of France-Belgium)
Helper involved: Sister Isabelle
Sister’s Role: Responsible for a community of senior Sisters in a nursing home
What does this mission entail? – For the past six years, my main mission has been to be responsible for our community of elderly Sisters living in a nursing home in Versailles, in the Greater Paris area. Their number has varied from 23 to 18, depending on the deaths of some and the new arrivals when their health situation or age made this move advisable.
What meaning do you give to this mission? – Before joining the Helpers, I was a night nurse, and after my first vows, I became a hospital chaplain. I was responsible for accompanying people through the trials of old age, illness, premature birth, or end of life… I also had to prepare and lead the funerals for some of the deceased at the hospital. When the Sister in charge of the Helpers of France-Belgium offered me a mission with our elderly Sisters in a nursing home, I saw it as a call from the Lord to continue with the path He was already leading me on.
And this was confirmed by the joy I find in the deep encounters that this mission allows me.
I am very grateful for the trust that these Sisters, who have dedicated 50, 60 years or more to their vows, place in me, someone who joined the Institute 20 years ago. They expand my understanding of life through their experiences, the challenges they have faced, and the remarkable individuals they have become, which I discover with amazement.
I live in Paris, as I am too young for the nursing home, and I visit them on average three times a week… and more if necessary, when a Sister is hospitalised or passes away (we then pray by her side and prepare her funeral). They live among 170 other lay residents. They appreciate being able to listen to and get to know their neighbours in the hallways, the dining room, or during activities. Sometimes, they also lend a helping hand when their health allows them enough strength.
These visits also lead to wonderful encounters with the staff members, as well as the caregivers and a nurse we hire to help us take care of them (helping with clothing, running errands, taking them to activities, ensuring everything goes smoothly for each Sister, alerting me if there are any issues, accompanying them to the doctor or dentist…).
In this way, we look after the well-being of each Sister and try to find together, in dialogue with them, what is most suitable according to each Sister’s health, but also her preferences, desires, her ability to read or connect to the Internet… As responsible for the community, my responsibility is to coordinate both their individual and collective care, ensuring that each Sister can fully engage in her religious life and maintain meaningful relationships with the other Sisters and everyone in the home, all while adapting to her specific needs. These needs evolve as her health shifts or her independence decreases. I then collaborate with her, with the Sister responsible for our elderly members, and other able Sisters who visit them, to strike a balance, ensuring that each one feels alive, fully engaged as a Helper in the community, and supported until the end.