Patron Stories: Father Ron

Father Ron has been a braille patron of Xavier Society for the Blind since 2002, and uses the materials he receives from us to serve the elderly. We are proud to have him as a patron! Here is what he had to say about XSB:

To say that I have loved seniors would truly be an understatement. Indeed, they have been and continue to be my greatest teachers, wisdom-bringers and guides. From my mid-teens onward, I have found nurture and a sense of profound humility in the presence of those much older than myself, as I have been taken along as a passenger on so many adventurous roads!

At first such trips caught me quite unawares. A student of Sociology, Philosophy, Political Science and Cultural History, I eventually landed in the seminary where I would make it my life’s ambition to serve seniors as a priest and a chaplain. Now several years into my ministry, I serve several Assisted Living Facilities whose residents exhibit a wide array of gifts and challenges.  I facilitate support groups, visit residents individually, lead exercise classes, call bingo, and, of course, lead worship and singing.

Since 2002, I have been receiving the monthly Propers of the Sunday Mass in Braille provided by Xavier Society for the Blind. The Propers prove useful, not just for my own personal faith practices, but in helping me to lead worship for seniors. Since I receive the Propers weeks in advance, I am able to assign readings and prayers to the seniors. I have found that this not only empowers them by giving them a sense of purpose, but it empowers them to own parts of the liturgy - in a way, to make the liturgy their own. It gives me great pleasure to see them smile when we can share stories and songs together, and the richness of our life together as we share old memories in the creation of new ones lies at the heart of what we do. I am grateful to have Xavier Society for the Blind as a resource, as it also helps me to support those whom I love to serve.