By: Jeff Rice, Pastoral Associate for Liturgy & Music
On Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020, something momentous happened for our parish community of St. Raphael, but in the midst of the pandemic crisis, we were not able to recognize it properly. Gerry Madey, our Healthcare Ministry Coordinator, retired after nearly 35 years on staff! We look forward to the time when we can all gather in person and properly thank Gerry for her incredible work at the parish. Her story of faith and service at St. Raphael is remarkable, and a model for all of us.
A calling to serve
In 1983 Gerry’s husband, Bob, was ordained to the permanent deaconate for the Fort Wayne-South Bend diocese where they lived in Indiana. Only a year later, Bob was transferred to Raleigh by IBMMoving from South Bend to Raleigh at the time was difficult. South Bend was one of the centers of Catholicism in the United States, whereas Catholics made up only 2% of the population in North Carolina in the early 1980’s (that number is now estimated at 9%). When the Madeys arrived in Raleigh, there were no other permanent deacons in the diocese. The priests didn’t know what to do with Bob and weren’t interested in welcoming him into their parishes. Finally, the pastor of St. Raphael, Fr. (now Msgr.) Gerald Lewis invited Bob to serve as a deacon at the parish.
Soon after, Fr. Lewis asked Gerry to consider joining the parish staff to lead the healthcare ministry, especially coordinating visits to parishioners in the two local hospitals. Gerry wasn’t sure how to respond. She hadn’t worked outside of the home before and wasn’t sure why Fr. Lewis had chosen her. Gerry told Fr. Lewis she would let him know in two weeks, and she took that time to pray for guidance. After taking it to prayer, she felt an urge, a call from the Lord to give it a try. So, in July of 1985, she accepted!
Living out a Charism of Service and Healing
At the time St. Raphael was an intimate, family-oriented parish. Daily Masses were held in the library. The staff was just a handful of people. So, it was remarkable that the parish would choose to invest in the healthcare position. Gerry believes that Fr. Lewis wanted St. Raphael to live out a charism of service and healing. It aligned with the name of our patron, Raphael, which means, “God heals.” Gerry’s seen this charism lived out throughout the years. The many ministers who have served in the healthcare ministry have clearly felt a calling for this work, and whenever there was a need for more ministers to step-up, Gerry’s prayers were answered.
Fr. Lewis also wanted to lead in a movement to empower lay ministry and vocation. Most ministries in the church were still led and carried out by clergy, especially in more mission territories like North Carolina. “We did want to increase lay ministry and we wanted to teach our people that lay people had special talents for ministry, that they were professionals who had a special place in the church.”
Soon the healthcare ministry expanded to visiting and bringing the Eucharist to Catholics in several assisted living facilities and the homebound. Fr. Lewis recalls, “In only a few months people were calling for Gerry Madey rather than for me. Our people accepted her beautifully. She immediately began to train people for hospital and home visitation and for Sunday Eucharist for the sick at home. Gerry also proved to be a positive, open, frank member of the staff – she always spoke her mind and she was able to listen.”
Other elements were added such as quarterly Mass with the Sacrament of the Anointing, the prayer intention list in the bulletin, the intention book outside the Chapel, and the Prayer Shawl Ministry. In many other ways, Gerry facilitated important connections in the parish like matching in-home caretakers with clients or sending someone in need to the right social service.
St. Raphael became known widely for the strength of its healthcare ministry. As other parishes in the area began developing their own ministries, they called Gerry, and she graciously assisted with planning and training for healthcare ministries at several parishes in the diocese.
A ministry built on warmth, compassion, and generosity
Reflecting on her time on staff at St. Raphael, Gerry is most proud of the team of ministers she assembled and lead, especially the compassion they showed and the time they took to simply listen to those whom they visited. She is pleased that if you ask around in Catholic circles in Raleigh, the St. Raphael healthcare ministry is held in high esteem. The healthcare ministry embodies all that Gerry loves about the St. Raphael community, a people of warmth, compassion, and generosity.
When Bob and Gerry were transferred to Raleigh, they were confused by God’s plans. They wondered why God sent them to this mission territory where the parishes didn’t even know what to do with a deacon! Bob, who passed away in 2011 after serving as a deacon at St. Raphael for 27 years, eventually said he thought God sent them to Raleigh so that Gerry could serve as the healthcare coordinator and lead a ministry that had such a large impact on so many lives. Gerry is content that she simply found a loving community that became her family.
So, what now, after almost 35 years on staff? As Fr. Lewis said, “She is only 87, I can’t figure out why she is retiring!” Well, Gerry certainly didn’t think retirement meant staying at home 24/7, but that’s what she’s doing now, staying safe at home during this time of pandemic, well taken care of by her family, enjoying Mass via live stream. She hopes to continue to be able to serve in ministry when things open up again, but most importantly, she looks forward to spending a lot of time with her beloved family, that includes 11 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.