Bill Logallo, coordinator of the ‘Medical Presence and Safety at Mass ministry ’, says, “The Catholic Community of St. Francis of Assisi is well known in the local community as being a place open to all, as emphasized through its pastoral care ministries. The ‘Medical Presence and Safety at Mass’ ministry strives to respond to any issue with compassion through de-escalation, when necessary, mental health awareness, and seeing every person with inherent dignity.”
After COVID-19, Bill and his teammates were looking to rebuild the medical presence ministry as in-person Masses restarted. However, they found that by adding a safety and security component designed to enhance situational awareness, they could provide more efficient medical responses, integrate with hospitality and other liturgical ministries, and strengthen their security posture through incident-specific response protocols. These protocols would lead to a better environment for all. That effort continues, as Bill states: “We have recently increased our training efforts by offering a ministry orientation, and we will be providing advanced situational awareness and de-escalation training later this summer.” Bill adds, “We are blessed to have these training initiatives led by Harry Dolan, a St. Francis parishioner, TFS grandparent, and a former Police Chief of the Raleigh Police Department.”
“The ministry’s goal,” Bill explains, “is to be vigilant while remaining welcoming. We ensure that all newcomers, even those who may seem out of place, are treated with kindness and charity. We respect the dignity of every person, so we strive to create an environment where everyone is respected and safeguarded, including parishioners, visitors, and the vulnerable. Through established response protocols, we’re often able to handle situations with minimal impact on the sacred liturgy, preserving the sanctity of Mass.”
If you’re interested in assisting, the time commitment for this ministry is limited to time during Mass attendance and the occasional training sessions. “As we expand this ministry,” says Bill, “we will look to take on a greater role in assisting hospitality with greeting parishioners and visitors, and providing a presence in the parking lot to assist the vulnerable.” The skills required to be a Safety Minister include maintaining situational awareness and staying calm in a variety of potentially stressful situations. Medical Presence ministers are current or retired health care professionals (nurses, doctors, PAs, NPs, EMTs, etc.). “I would encourage anyone interested in helping to seek us out in Realm under ‘Medical Presence and Safety at Mass’,” says Bill, “or to email me for additional information at wlogallo@gmail.com .”