Prayers Health Progress Prayer Services

OPENING AWARENESS As we gather, we may find it difficult to find the words that resonate with a meeting agenda, time of year, or the things happening in our neighborhoods or worldwide. We humbly acknowledge the seemingly unending pressures faced by health care leaders today:

This meditation is inspired by those working to ease the transition of individuals who have recently arrived in this country, usually from places where they are escaping violence, unrest or unjust conditions. The Catholic health care ministry includes community health workers — like those described in this issue's Mission column at Avera Health in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (see pages 61-63) — who are already serving as leaders in their communities. They work tirelessly to draw from their expertise and experiences — some as immigrants and refugees themselves — to build trust between their communities and health care systems. Through the power of their relationships and community building, they help to create an environment where human flourishing is possible.