In the Spring of 2015, a parishioner of Christ the Redeemer parish suffered a cardiac arrest. Fortunately, the Knights of Columbus purchased an AED for the church. The equipment monitoring and CPR Certification Program is taught by Kathy Benton, M.Ed, BA, RN, CSN, FCN who is a parish nurse. This ministry has taken the lead in offering CPR certification to both student and adult groups within our parish community for many years. In February they realized the fruit of their educational outreach efforts.
During a Saturday evening Mass, parishioner, Ray Whisler, suffered a cardiac arrest. Parish nurses who were attending Mass immediately came to his aid. Beth Rollins, BSN, RN, a nurse at Virtua Health and Kathy Benton, performed CPR and used the AED to save Ray’s life. Father Tom Barcelona, pastor of the church, said “It is a miracle we had nurses here to help. The entire church prayed the rosary for the heart attack victim as the nurses attended to his medical needs. Now Ray is doing well and has even been back to church.”
Christ the Redeemer Parish in Atco has many ministries; the Health Ministry is just one way they reach out for the total wellbeing of their community. Kathy Benton, formerly an Emergency Department nurse and currently a local high school nurse, established the Parish Nursing Ministry in 2001 and has served as its coordinator for many years.
As a result of funds provided by the Knights of Columbus, Council #7463, Council #7774 and parishioner donations, Christ the Redeemer Parish now has five AEDs in its churches and facilities.
This is a very dramatic example of the services the Parish Nurse can provide in a faith community. Many times their actions may go unnoticed. The simple blood pressure screening which may catch an elevation before it becomes critical and encourages an individual to go to their doctor, then following it up and finding out the person need their medications adjusted. The Health Notes in the church bulletin reminding people about the need for early detection or where to go to get more information. Sometimes it is someone coming up to the parish nurse and just needing to talk to them about the changes going on emotionally and spiritually, as they deal with a difficult situation in their life. Following the example of Jesus the Divine Healer there are many ways to provide healing. This is the true spirit of a Parish Nurse.
If you would like more information on Parish Nursing contact Kathy Benton by calling the parish office at, (856)767-0719, or Mary Anne Serra, Director of Parish Nursing for the Diocese of Camden at (856)583-6120
