Catering for elderly worshippers
By Chrys Ayley
Continuing our series on t issues surrounding an increasingly ageing population we look at how churches are catering for their elderly parishioners. The reverend Kingsley Ponniah of St Michaels and All Angels Anglican Church in Newlands Road, which is on a slope, confirmed that there was a ramp from the car park enabling access for wheelchairs and older members of the congregation. The reverend Kingsley said it was not a very big parish and estimated 20 to 25 per cent of members were over 70 with some younger people picking up elderly including one from a rest home aged 90. If parishioners fall ill they can receive communion at home and have help with odd jobs and meals. St Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Johnsonville is on Dr Taylor Terrace is located on flat ground with only one step for church goers to climb and access for people with walkers and wheelchairs, Father Peter Fitzgibbon said. In recognition of the fact that not all elderly can attend services church volunteers take communion to people residing in facilities for the elderly such as Malvina Major, Aotea and Johnson Vale, Father Fitzgibbon said. People living at home can request visits from volunteers and the priest can give communion once a month and like other churches younger members of the congregation help with transporting people to services. Other facilities for the elderly are a prayer network for older people and a bereavement group. Margaret Clark of the Johnsonville Uniting Church says the majority of the parishioners are older people with several over 90 but the majority about 50 years of age and a few young families. The church is on flat ground with no access issues and wheelchair access and plenty of support for parishioners that cannot get to the building, home visits by the Minister, meals on wheels and other pastoral support. ?You do not have to go to church to worship God,? she said. ?You church is your community not your building.?
