TLDR: After nine years of leadership in our Pastoral Care Ministries, Jerre will be stepping down at the end of February 2026. Please read on for a brief tribute and an invitation to come and celebrate Jerre’s ministry with us at a Wine and Cheese reception on 2/14/26.
I walked into a beloved parishioner’s home and the first thing I saw was a beautiful flower arrangement. She proudly said, “It is from the church!” Then I learned that our Petal Pushers’ ministry had dropped off the beautiful flowers the day before as a welcome home from a 3-day stay at a local hospital, where she had been admitted for Pneumonia. She looked at my communion bag and said, “I am so glad you brought communion, Father! But I usually get communion from Manette a couple of times a month.” Manette Maddox is one of many Lay Eucharistic Ministers, an incredible ministry coordinated by Helen Gilbert. A bit later on, I asked if she had enough food while she recovered and she said, “Mary Ann has scheduled her people to bring me food for the next three days. After that, my daughter will come to stay with me and she will do the cooking.” Mary Ann Cole is one of our Pastoral Care Leaders who oversees our “Feed my Flock” ministry, a tremendous source of comfort for those recovering from illness or adjusting back home after a hospital stay. Then she told me that her Stephen ministry caregiver had been very attentive to her and visited her at the hospital, bringing her a delicious cup of Starbucks Chai Late. I recommended that she let Tracy Santoro, one of the coordinators for Stephen Ministry, know about this, as she would be very proud of this caregiver. After the visit, I found myself lost in thought about our Pastoral Care ministries and the great coordination of care that has become a signature feature of this department.
For the last nine years, Jerre Bergeron has been at the helm of our Pastoral Care Department. In her position, she has overseen Dove Notes, Feed my Flock, Parish Visitors, Stephen Ministry, Petal Pushers, Lay Eucharistic Ministers, Caring Friends, Prayer Ministry, and soon will spearhead our Grief Share program. Each of these ministries has their own coordinator and a team of committed volunteers, but Jerre has acted as the representative head of Pastoral Care for the church for almost a decade. She has supported the coordinators, has ensured that funding is available for various projects, has met once a week with all clergy and her team (Cathy Sullivant and Mary Anne Cole) over Zoom to coordinate all ministries for parishioners who need a bit more attention and care, and has given the staff regular updates about Pastoral Care issues at various staff meetings.
But Jerre has done much more than this. Over the last six years, she has been one of my closest advisors on Pastoral Care matters. She has kept her ear to the ground and has often been the first person to learn that a particular parishioner has been hospitalized or moved to an Assisted Living Facility. And often, she has been the first person to get in her car to go visit that person. She and I have spent countless hours at hospitals as parishioners undergo surgeries, recover from complex procedures, or when they are dying. Our families trust her and feel very close to the church because of her timely and loving intervention when their relatives need assistance. Additionally, she has been a great source of comfort and care to Fr. Naty during his two eye surgeries. She has driven him to clinics and hospitals, has coordinated his care and need for food while he recovered, has taken him to post surgery appointments (with a few volunteers who helped), and has made sure that I am informed of his treatment (with his permission) so that I can facilitate time off for recovery. Personally, Jerre has been one of those people I call for advice when I need it, and her support has been invaluable to me and my family.
Jerre will step down from the leadership role at the end of February 2026 but will remain involved in our upcoming Grief-Share ministry. Next week, I will write a blog about our transition plan for Pastoral Care, but for now I just want to list the ways the church has and will celebrate Jerre’s ministry. This last Sunday, at our 2026 Annual Meeting, Jerre was presented with the Golden Horseshoe Award for distinguished service to Saint Dunstan’s. On Saturday, February 14, from 4:00-6:00pm we will have a wine and cheese reception in the Price Fellowship Hall to celebrate Jerre’s ministry and to welcome the new Pastoral Care leaders. I know this is Valentine’s day, but I am hoping that many of you will join us for some wine and cheese (and appetizers) before you go out to dinner with your loved one.
Whether or not you are able to attend the reception, please join me in expressing our gratitude to Jerre for a job well done. She leaves behind a very solid foundation on which we will build new ministries and will continue to grow our existing programs.
Well done, good and faithful servant! We will miss you.
May our Lord continue to bless you all,
Fr. Roman+
