Clement Manor Pastoral Care team. (Submitted photo)

As much as physical care becomes a comprehensive part of senior living, the care for the faith life of a human soul remains the primary necessity.

Clement Manor Pastoral Care Manager Tom Brefka says his team’s philosophy of encouraging God’s presence through the Catholic faith into seniors’ lives comes from a heart of empathy.

“It’s just a relationship-based family that we’re in. We’re very much part of a community here,” he says. “We have all gone through the same situation.”

That sense of understanding, seeing loved ones go through what Clement Manor’s seniors experience in these years of life, colors how their team — with most members owning more than 20 years of pastoral care experience — compassionately commits to their residents.

“We do spiritual care assessments within seven days when any resident comes to move in, just to get a gauge of where they are spiritually. We respect people’s religious traditions, so if they don’t want us to come to visit, we’re fine with that. We gauge our residents and their interest, and we provide the care that they want from us,” said Brefka.

“Our priest is available as well, and very busy providing the sacraments. He offers confession upon request as well. He goes around with Anointing of the Sick whenever it’s requested by family or by residents, and often we have hospice teams that ask us to anoint residents as well. That’s something that makes us a little different than other communities out there that don’t have this faith-based foundation that we have.”

Clement Manor is home to 15 retired diocesan priests and religious sisters from four religious communities. Its foundation, forged by the School Sisters of St. Francis, now rises to be caringly present to residents through the work of its sponsor, Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity.

Brefka says that many family members of past Clement Manor residents find themselves volunteering, turning empathy for residents into action.

“A few volunteers have volunteered for many, many years after their loved ones have passed, either distributing communion on the weekends for us, lectoring or cantoring at Mass,” he said. “That just goes to show the wonderful support that we give our families, that they want to come back.”

Most often, Brefka sees that his team’s simple, compassionate action showcases God’s healing presence within Clement Manor’s walls.

“We don’t even have to say words,” Brefka says. “Just our presence is all that our residents need.”