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Entries for 2017

Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Posted on November 06, 2017 in: Caregiver Spirituality

It’s become common to incorrectly use the term Alzheimer’s to describe all kinds of dementia. Dementia is the loss of memory and the ability to think, to solve problems, and to use reason. It affects memory, intelligence, judgment, language, and behavior. There are a number of subcategories under this broad term, including Alzheimer’s, multi-infarct dementia (which is stroke-r...

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Depression and Suicide

Posted on November 04, 2017 in: Caregiver Spirituality

If your loved one is suffering from depression—and is not just “down in the dumps” for a while—he or she can’t “will it” away. Your care-receiver can’t simply decide, “I’m not going to be depressed anymore.” Research shows that depression often has a physiological and emotional basis and is treatable. Then, too, with all your respon...

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Top Ten Spiritual Practices for Caregivers

Posted on October 06, 2017 in: Caregiver Spirituality

Care giving can be a very rewarding experience, as we want to give our love and support to a family member or friend. It can also drain our energy when we are called to give a lot of our time, especially if also working or caring for children at home. It is important to find time and ways to be rene...

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A Caregiver's Prayer for an Aging Parent

Posted on October 06, 2017 in: Caregiver Spirituality

A Caregiver's Prayer for an Aging Parent Heavenly Father, help me better understand and believe I can do what you ask me to do. Forgive me for the times, even now, when I question your judgment. As I go about the many daily tasks of caregiving, give me energy. As I watch my loved one oh-so-slowly walk across the room, give me strength. As I answer his/her repeated question just one...

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4 Tips for Better Sleep While Caregiving

Posted on January 09, 2017 in: Caregiver Spirituality

by Barry J. Jacobs, AARP, January 9, 2017 As a 24/7 caregiver for her mother, my 52-year-old patient — I'll call her Becca — gets little rest. At night, lying on the couch next to her mother's hospital bed, she is jolted awake by her mom's frequent cries of pain and confused conversation with people who aren't there. During the day, she catnaps fitfully in the chair ...

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5 Tips for Discussing Money Matters With Family

Posted on January 07, 2017 in: Caregiver Spirituality

by Lynnette K-Cox, AARP Are you worried about your parents' diminishing physical capabilities or your daughter's plans to pay for her child's college education? Is one of your relatives going through an especially difficult financial period? As you get together with your adult children and aging parents to enjoy home-cooked meals or celebrate your family's holiday traditions, us...

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Most Viewed Articles of the Last 30 Days

Your Guide to Church Bazaar and Craft Fairs and Other Events

Posted on December 10, 2025 in: News, Events, Around the Diocese

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Your Guide to Church Bazaar and Craft Fairs and Other Events

Use the Handy List Below to See Where All the Best Church Bazaars and Craft Fairs are Being Held Throughout the Diocese. You Can Also Add Events to Your Google Calendar from Ours. Saturday, December 13 Cookie Sale and Basket Raffle Our Lady of La Salette, Brooklyn • 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Join us for our annual sale and raffle. This event sells out quickly, so please arrive early. Saturday, December 13 Christmas Cookie Sale St. Mark Church Hall, Westbrook • 9:00 AM – 12:00 P...

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Celebrate the Season: Festival of Lessons and Carols Returns

Posted on December 11, 2025 in: News, Events, Around the Diocese, ADVENT

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Celebrate the Season: Festival of Lessons and Carols Returns

To Prepare Your Heart for the Coming of the Lord You are warmly invited to the Festival of Lessons and Carols on December 21 at 7:30 PM at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick. This traditional service combines scripture readings that recount God’s plan of salvation—from humanity’s fall to the birth of Christ—with choral music, organ accompaniment, and carol singing by the assembly. The evening will include performances by: Norwich Diocesan Choir, featuring selections from Bach and Saint-Saens Cathedral Choir, Bells of Saint Patrick, and Scho...

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Unwrapping the Stories Behind Our Favorite Carols

Posted on December 09, 2025 in: News

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Unwrapping the Stories Behind Our Favorite Carols

When my children were in grade school, we hosted several caroling parties in December. Family and friends would pile into the house, and I’d hand out little songbooks I had put together. After a short practice session in the living room, where I could see the Cathedral from the window, we would set out into the neighborhood. We stopped at houses along the way, including the rectory and the bishop’s house, before ending at Sheltering Arms, a senior residence in Norwich. The night always ended back at home with mugs of hot chocolate and slow cookers f...

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Blessing of a Christmas Tree

Posted on December 09, 2025 in: ADVENT

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The Christmas tree, a newer custom rooted in the “tree of paradise” from medieval plays, reminds us that Christ is the Light of the World. It is set up before Christmas and remains until Epiphany, with lights illuminated after the blessing.A parent or family member may lead the blessing, perhaps during the evening meal on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Opening: Leader: ✝ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. All: Amen. Leader: Let us glorify Christ our light, who brings salvation and peace. All: Amen. Leader: As Christ was...

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A Festive Autumn Atmosphere at the 15th Annual Seton Scholarship Dinner

Posted on December 09, 2025 in: News

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A Festive Autumn Atmosphere at the 15th Annual Seton Scholarship Dinner

The trees surrounding the Lake of Isles provided brilliant colors of red, orange, yellow, and gold on October 26, 2025, at the 15th Annual Seton Scholarship Dinner. Dr. Gail Kingston, Superintendent of Schools, Bishop Reidy, and the Office of Development hosted nearly 160 people on this glorious fall day. This year we honored the commitment of three people who have spent their careers dedicated to our diocesan Catholic school system while enjoying the melodious voices of the Saint Patrick Cathedral Choir as they filled the room singing “God Bless America” and &l...

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