• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Eileen Dickey prays over a caregiver’s hands during Holy Family Parish's fifth annual Pampering and Prayer Day for caregivers March 30 in Davidsonville. (Karen Sampson Hoffman/For the Review)

Davidsonville parish offers ‘pampering and prayer’ for caregivers

April 1, 2019
By Karen Sampson Hoffman
Filed Under: #IamCatholic, Feature, Local News, News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Maria Gomez of Annapolis cuts the hair of Gladys Bravo of Davidsonville during Holy Family Parish’s fifth annual Pampering and Prayer Day for caregivers March 30 in Davidsonville. (Karen Sampson Hoffman/For the Review).

DAVIDSONVILLE – The love Lisa Jacobs has for her husband, David, was evident as she talked about him.

“He can be a sweetheart,” she said, showing video of him happily dancing.

Jacobs shared stories of her spouse over lunch at Holy Family Church March 30, when the faith community in southern Anne Arundel County held its fifth annual Pampering and Prayer Day.

Sponsored by the Faith and Abilities ministry and supported by additional parish groups, the day brings together those who care for family members with illness or disability.

Lisa and David Jacobs, who reside in Bowie, have been married for 14 years. He was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s in 2010. She is his primary caregiver.

“I enjoy the time to sit and worship. I don’t get the time to go to church on Sundays,” Jacobs said of the event at Holy Family. “I love the pampering. It’s ministry for the body, mind and soul. You really do feel rejuvenated. You’re around other people who go through what you go through. These people really understand it.”

The outreach is coordinated by Maureen Flanagan and Mary Ann Sabo, the mother of two young adults with disabilities. After attending similar events for caregivers in Pennsylvania, Sabo partnered with Flanagan in Faith and Abilities to create something similar for local caregivers that would not involve lengthy travel.

“It’s a way of giving back,” Sabo said. “It’s a day for them to relax and put everything aside and be pampered.

“We really wanted families from here to be able to attend. The first time we had it, we had three or four people. And it’s just expanded.”

More than 60 caregivers, mostly women, attended this year. They were cared for by as many volunteers and service providers.

The day began with a blessing of the caregivers’ hands by Father Andrew Aaron, pastor of Holy Family.

Kim Leaman of Severna Park paints the fingernails of Kathy Elder of Davidsonville during Holy Family Parish’s fifth annual Pampering and Prayer Day for caregivers March 30 in Davidsonville. (Karen Sampson Hoffman/For the Review).

“It’s important to have that TLC when you’re a caregiver,” Father Aaron said. “We’re honoring the work they do. It’s one of the things that’s holy about this. You’re honoring the work of Jesus in what they do. That’s what I think church is about, to rejuvenate each other.”

Betty Ryon, a volunteer, said, “These caregivers work tirelessly for children and spouses and we can give them this little break.”

Ellie Isaac donated her services as an acupuncturist, helping release some of the physical stress caregivers carry. As a former caregiver herself, the blessing of hands has special meaning.

“I want to remind them that their bodies are healing all the time,” Isaac said. “Our society is about doing, doing, doing. Today is simply about being. A caregiver doesn’t get to do that.”

Anne Stag and her friend Lynn Kramer, both from Arnold, each have teens with Down syndrome. They came to receive support, and give it.

“We’re sharing something in common,” Stag said. “We’ve been through this. Maybe we can help someone else.”

Asked why she came, Kramer said, “Someone to take care of me for a day. It doesn’t happen very often.”

Guest speaker Sib Charles of Joni and Friends Ministry, whose husband was paralyzed in a farming accident, instructed caregivers to find supportive people and accept their help.

Charles related the story of the man who could not walk, and of his friends who took the roof off a house to lower his mat down to Jesus to be healed. She encouraged the caregivers to look around for the “mat carriers” who supported them and helped them to be in the presence of Jesus.

“Maybe this morning some of you need healing from something in your lives,” Charles said, such as depression, anxiety or grief. “We need to acknowledge it – that we’re feeling overwhelmed, that we’re missing out. But don’t stay there. I honor you, I celebrate you.

“You’re not just doing for your loved one, you’re doing it for our Savior.”

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Karen Sampson Hoffman

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

  • Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

  • Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

  • Archbishop Wenski leads Knights on Bikes to pray rosary at Alligator Alcatraz

  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

| Latest Local News |

Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

Driver arrested after crashing into entrance of Esperanza Center

Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

| Latest World News |

Can’t afford a Catholic college? Think again. Many offer full tuition options

Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

LA archbishop, joined by business leaders, starts fund to help families affected by ICE raids

FBI surveilled SSPX priest amid probe of suspected neo-Nazi’s plans for violence

Poland’s ‘living memorial’ to St. John Paul II marks 25 years of transforming lives

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Can’t afford a Catholic college? Think again. Many offer full tuition options
  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary
  • LA archbishop, joined by business leaders, starts fund to help families affected by ICE raids
  • FBI surveilled SSPX priest amid probe of suspected neo-Nazi’s plans for violence
  • Poland’s ‘living memorial’ to St. John Paul II marks 25 years of transforming lives
  • Our faith is not afraid of questions
  • Catholic ‘American Ninja Warrior’ fights world hunger, one obstacle at a time
  • Parishes need to launch ‘revolution of care’ for the elderly, pope says
  • Broglio: Church teaching obligates the faithful to support pastoral care of migrants

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en