Welcome to the Companions of the Cross
Mission Statement
We are a Roman Catholic community of priests, committed to living and
ministering together as brothers in the Lord. We are called to the ongoing
renewal of the Church through a dynamic evangelization in the wisdom and
power of the Holy Spirit. We proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to all
we are called to serve, with special attention to parish communities, the
poor, youth, and those alienated from the Church.
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Most Recent Update Concerning Fr. Bob Bedard
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Dear Friends,
This past week all of the priests of our community gathered for our professional training days in Houston. It just did not feel the same without Fr. Bob. He was, however, very much in our thoughts and prayers. Slowly we are adjusting to not having Fr. Bob present with us as we seek to live out the mission the Lord has given us through him. Recently one of our priests was telling Fr. Bob about some victories in ministry and Fr. Bob related how much he wants and needs to hear these stories – only now, from us. This priest related how much he felt that Fr. Bob has handed the torch now to us. Please pray that we may be faithful and zealous in the cause.
Fr. Bob’s condition continues to be stable. He has suffered from a nasty cold and was a little overwhelmed with visitors over the Christmas season. Unfortunately some visitors continue to stay too long and over the course of a day Fr. Bob becomes utterly exhausted. Some days he is alert and attentive and seems very much himself. On other days he is almost non-responsive. We have been told that this is to be expected. We continue to pray for him and entrust him into the hands of the Lord.
Unfortunately the news isn’t all good. He has been definitively diagnosed as suffering from dementia. His condition is expected to continue to deteriorate. It will affect both his mental and physical health. There is no way of knowing how quickly the condition will progress, but we are praying that Fr. Bob will enjoy a significant amount of time wherein he is lucid and is able to converse with us.
Each day a priest or seminarian of the community or a sister from the Servants of the Cross visits him and brings him Holy Communion. Occasionally we are able to celebrate Mass at his bedside. It is truly a joy to do so – especially when he is able to enter in to the celebration knowingly and attentively.
Once again I want to thank all of you for your love for Fr. Bob, your generous prayers, and understanding. It has been incredibly comforting to see the solicitude of all of you for him. I know he deeply appreciates your prayers, your friendship, and your visits to see him. Thank you!
It is still possible to visit Fr. Bob but only under certain conditions. We need to keep these conditions in place in order to properly care for him. For so many years he took care of us. Now it is our turn to take care of him.
The following conditions must be observed by all who visit Fr. Bob:
- Absolutely no food or drink is to be brought to or given to Fr. Bob. He is generally supervised when he eats and is only able to properly swallow certain types of foods. Misguided kindness could easily cause him to choke and create life-threatening situations.
- Please keep visits to an absolute maximum of fifteen to twenty minutes.
- No more than three visitors should be in his room at one time.
- Please…please…please sign in at the front desk and sign the guestbook in his room. It is very important for us to monitor how many visitors he is receiving.
- Please do not shake Fr. Bob to wake him if he is sleeping. At times he becomes very exhausted and simply needs to rest. If he does not rouse after you speak his name – please let him sleep.
- Fr. Bob cannot celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation with anyone. Please do not request this of him.
- Please respect the fact that Fr. Bob cannot initiate conversations and is generally disturbed by being repeatedly asked “how he is doing”. It is best to do all the initiating and to avoid questions that would cause him to evaluate his own situation.
- A common symptom of dementia is occasional edginess and irritability. If this happens please remember that it is the condition and not Fr. Bob.
- Visiting hours are from Monday to Saturday, 11:00 – 11:45am, and 3:30- 4:45pm.
- All visits are arranged through Mrs. Lee McCarthy. Please phone her during the day and leave a message at her home number 613-725-0233. She will get back to you that evening or the next day, and will discuss some further details with you.
Again, we thank you for all your prayers and support. It means so much to Fr. Bob and to all of us. May the Lord reward all your generosity and kindness!
United in prayer,
Fr Scott McCaig, CC
Moderator (General Superior)
