Scottish Catholic Observer

Mgr John Tormey, parish priest of St Aidan’s Church in Johnstone, is the Catholic chaplain of the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) in Paisley, and is seeking support from PVG-checked men and women to assist in bringing patients to and from Mass in the hospital chapel.

Mgr Tormey’s appeal comes in light of a slight shortfall, after some of his former volunteers left for a variety of reasons.

Call for support

He said: “More wheelchair helpers would be great. We’ve already had responses from a few people, but a few more are needed.

“I had a team of about 12 people at one point, but some have retired and others have moved away.”

The current team is comprised of Mass readers, Eucharistic ministers and sacristans who help with the weekly Saturday 4pm Mass, which is attended by many hospital patients, as well as others who had previously been patients at the hospital and have become ‘connected to the parish,’ Mgr Tormey said.

Small commitment

Volunteers give up a few hours every third or fourth Saturday, and are free to swap their scheduled working times with other volunteers if necessary.

Ideally, Mgr Tormey hopes people from Paisley and nearby will get in touch to offer their services.

Referring to the RAH chapel community, he said: “It’s a lovely ministry, the people are always happy and grateful to have Mass in the hospital chapel.

“It runs very smoothly and really is a lovely set up. We’re always quite well attended.

“Many of the people feel a real connection to the hospital chapel because they feel so welcome there.”

Jesus’ call

On why people should come forward to get involved, he added: “It’s a great ministry and a great way to help the sick.

“It’s also a very practical way of responding to the call by Jesus, ‘I was sick and you visited me.’

“Another thing is that it’s very rewarding to give up some of your time and in turn you receive something. Many people have told me it’s a very rewarding thing.

“They feel like they’ve given something back to someone less fortunate than them.”

If you live near Paisley and are interested in becoming a wheelchair helper, contact Mgr John Tormey on 01505 320 900 or [email protected]