At one time or another, everyone could use a little pastoral care, whether grieving a loved one, suffering from an illness, preparing for surgery, or in need of extra prayer support during a difficult time. At Trinity Church Boston, we care for one another through pastoral circles, prayer teams, and by bringing Holy Eucharist and companionship to the homebound.
Hospitality & Care Cohort Leadership
Vestry Liaisons:
Christine Arcese, Christopher Atwood, Peter Renner
Staff Support:
Kit Lonergan (Priest for Parish Care) and Paige Fisher (Priest for Hospitality & Care)
Cohort Co-Convener:
Christine Arcese and Laurie Buchta
Pastoral Connection
At Trinity Church Boston, parishioners as well as clergy serve as touchstones to the compassionate and healing love of God. Should you need solace and support during illness, injury, or troubled times, please contact our Priest for Parish Care using the attached form.
In a pastoral emergency (hospitalization or death), please call 857-315-7968.
A Community of Prayer
We believe that prayer brings wholeness and healing to those being prayed for, as well as to those who pray.
The Prayer Ministry consists of a group of voluteers who explore prayer in their daily lives. We hold regular meetings for prayer and discussion via Zoom, as well as fellowship activities in person, to share and encourage our members’ prayer life. We seek to explore together different types of prayer practice (e.g., centering prayer, poetry/art and prayer, 40-day prayer for the parish, Christian and non-Christian cultural forms of prayer, prayer retreats, etc.) in order to broaden and deepen the meaning and ritual of prayer in our lives. We also assign to the members of the Prayer Ministry the first names and brief circumstances of the individuals who request daily prayer by the Ministry or for whom daily prayer has been requested. We do this on an anonymous and confidential basis. We periodically update the situation of those being prayed for. We also host a weekly Friday morning prayer via Zoom at 6:30 am to pray together all the names on the Prayer List (individuals for whom our members pray daily).
At each worship service, we publicly read aloud the names of those who have either requested public prayers for themselves or have had their names submitted by others for public prayers. In either case, that person’s name will be read aloud in our Sunday liturgies. The name of someone who has died is read on the Sunday after the name has been received.
Private Prayer is also available through our Prayer Chain ministry, if you would prefer to request that you or someone you care about be prayed for confidentially.
To request prayers, please complete our online form.
“Stitching in the Spirit” is a collective of dedicated knitters who blend their passion for textiles with an unwavering spirit of compassion. With each deftly woven thread, they infuse their creations with love, hope, and solace, forming a tangible expression of care for those in need. This group’s primary focus is the creation of prayer shawls—and now prayer squares, meticulously crafted with intention and purpose. These are more than just pieces of fabric; they are tokens of comfort, resilience, and faith. Every stitch represents a whispered prayer, a silent wish for healing, and a reminder that, even in the darkest of times, one is never alone. This dedicated group of volunteers meets on the third Saturday of each month to knit their shawls and prayer squares which are then given to those in need. In September 2024, we will set up a station in the Undercroft between the 8 and 10 am services to teach those in our parish who are interested to learn how to knit prayer squares.
Care and Support Groups
God calls each of us to facilitate and participate in our own personal healing as well as the healing and renewal of creation. We offer specific groups for those parishioners who are on journeys which may feel vulnerable and tender.
NEW PartnerCare Pastoral Circle meets on the 2nd Tuesdays of the month, 1 pm – 2 pm, on Zoom.
For those who are caring for their spouses or partners through illness, age or decline, and find themselves currently as both caregiver and partner.
NEW CareGiving Pastoral Circle meets on the First Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm, on Zoom.
Comprises those in the Trinity Church Boston community who seek connection and spiritual companionship and who are caregivers for family or community members. Through connection and prayer, our goal is to provide a respite and grounding for participants. Please email Rev. Kit, klonergan@trinitychurchboston.org, to sign up to receive the link.
Whether you are experiencing cancer yourself, supporting someone who is, or are reclaiming your health from the illness, Trinity’s Spiritual Journeys Cancer Pastoral Circle can help. The group provides a safe and loving space for you to share your spiritual journey with others who find themselves in a similar situation. We meet monthly via Zoom, and those who find themselves on the Cancer Journey are encouraged to reach out to the Priest for Parish Care for more information and links or use the attached form.
In our Book of Common Prayer, the liturgy for burial is specific to state: “…Human grief [is not] unchristian. The very love we have for each other in Christ brings deep sorrow when we are parted by death. Jesus himself wept at the grave of his friend.” (BCP79, p.504) Trinity parishioners who are experiencing grief after the death of a loved one are invited to join the Bereavement and Beyond Pastoral Circle. The group provides a space for all the emotions which come after loss and death, and we seek to offer support and connection with others traveling that same path. We meet monthly, either in person or on Zoom, and those who find themselves on this journey are encouraged to reach out to the Priest for Parish Care for more information and links or use the attached form.
Lay Visiting Ministries at Trinity
The work of the Church doesn’t end at the doors of the sanctuary—the connection to the sacramental and congregational life of Trinity is a hallmark of our Christian commitment to God and one another.
Pastoral Visitors are parishioners of Trinity Church who are trained and commissioned to visit those in our congregation and community unable to join us for services or fellowship. Pastoral Visitors offer fellowship, prayer, space, and listening, and above all, a joy in sharing the Spirit with those who are homebound.
Eucharistic Visitors are parishioners of Trinity Church who are trained, licensed, and commissioned to bring the sacrament to those who are homebound, ill, hospitalized, or in residential facilities and unable to join the congregation in person for services. As we say each week, “We who are many are one body, because we all share one bread, one cup.”
Other Visiting Ministries locations include:
- Hale House, Boston
- Sherrill House, Boston
- Brooksby Village, Peabody
If you would like to know more about these ministries or request a visit for yourself or a loved one, please contact the Priest for Parish Care.
Welcome Ministries
As part of its welcome ministry and visitors services programs, Trinity Church offers regular public tours of our remarkable parish home. These tours give visitors who come from all over the United States and the world the opportunity to visually explore and learn about this masterwork of nineteenth-century American architecture and its groundbreaking decorative program. Tours are led by trained volunteer guides who tell the story of the building of the church, its architecture, and art. Periodically, training is offered to people interested in becoming tour guides. As part of the training, a new guide would learn about Trinity Church history, art and architecture, develop storytelling, public speaking skills and tour group management. Trinity tour guides are asked to lead 12 or more tours annually, Tuesday – Saturdays.
The “Welcomes You” series is a seasonal a three-part program comprising ‘Christianity Welcomes You’, ‘The Episcopal Church Welcomes You’ and ‘Trinity Church Welcomes You’ for those new to the church. Programs are 1hr and 15 minutes in length, which includes light refreshments and time for connection. This program is currently being lead by a Trinity staff member, however, subsequent leaders should plan on a one-year commitment, beginning in September, and spanning at least two sessions of Welcomes You programming per program year.
Hospitality Ministries
We break bread together each week around the altar in our worship, and similarly, our monthly parish breakfasts offer us the opportunity to break bread with one another drawing us closer in community and relationship. Our Breakfast Team is a group of monthly volunteers that gather to prepare and serve the food for our parish breakfasts. This is a great way for newcomers or people with varied availability to jump in, help out and get to know one another better. The breakfast team is coordinated by the Associate for Community Life and opened to all using a monthly Sign-up genius link shared in all parish communication.
Love comes in all forms– we’re looking for those who share love particularly through cooking and baking!
A gifted meal or baked good can be especially holy– we are looking for those who wish to share the love through cooking, baking and being a set of wheels to occasionally drop those holy things off (or help mail them to college students!).
Please sign up here for any or all of the ways to be part of our Made with Love (baking and cooking for others) and Delivered with Love (dropping off) ministries.
