My ministry at Keystone is very challenging and rewarding at the same time. It is challenging because I deal with people who are about to experience a major life change: the passage from this life to a new, as yet invisible one. I also deal frequently with family members who are in various stages of grieving. It is also rewarding because it is a privilege to be allowed into the  lives of people at this very sensitive time.

The mission of Keystone Hospice is to allow people to die with dignity. The patients and their families receive many types of service: financial help, medical attention, around the clock nursing, individual dietary care, ecumenical chaplains, music, art, massage, and bereavement services for 13 months after the patient dies. Most of these services are provided in the home of the patient, although there is a house in Wyndmoor, PA, to accommodate patients whose families cannot care for them 24 hours a day.

My ministry at Keystone varies each day. Some days I bring tea or coffee to families who are vigiling at the bedside of a loved one. At other times, I act as a sounding board, listening to anger or sadness or both. At times I simply sit holding the patient’s hand and pray with them to let them know that they are not alone.

This poem reflects the deepest meaning of my ministry:

Dying in Spring
Rising, falling, waiting…
Listening for the note that begins the song of
Rising to new life with crocuses, tulips, daffodils,
Finally this heart can be still
Preparing to sit on God’s windowsill