Community Corner
Belmont Church to Host Important Caregiving Retreat
One of the difficulties in caregiving is to maintain a sense of hope for one's self.
The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, in cooperation with the Network of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for Pastoral Health Care, is presenting a one-day retreat for Orthodox Christian healthcare workers entitled, “Hope for the Caregiver.”
This workshop will be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Cross, 900 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont.
Registration will begin at 9 a.m., and the Service of Great Vespers will follow the conclusion of the retreat.
The keynote speaker will be Rev. Dr. Stavros Kofinas, Coordinator of the Network of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for Pastoral Health Care. Fr. Kofinas received his theological training at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA, and his Doctorate of Ministry and in Clinical Psychotherapy and Psychiatric Pastoral Care at Andover Newton Theological School.
Other featured speakers include: His Grace Bishop Maxim of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Western America; Dr. Tania Spirtos, Gynecologist and Clinical Faculty at Stanford University School of Medicine; and Kristen Azar, RN, MSN/MPH who is a Nurse Researcher at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute.
One of the main tasks of the caregivers is to provide a sense of hope to the sufferer. One of the difficulties in caregiving is to maintain a sense of hope for one’s self. This retreat is an opportunity for Orthodox Christian health caregivers to reflect on hope, its meaning, the difficulties in maintaining it, instilling it in others, and discovering ways in enriching it. This event will provide the opportunity for Orthodox Christian healthcare providers to come together and form a bond of fellowship.
While this retreat is open to anyone desiring to attend, it is especially relevant for doctors, nurses, social workers, counselors, and people whose role is to provide direct support of patients in their care and treatment. This is the first such retreat that is being organized by a Metropolis in cooperation with the Patriarchal Network. The Patriarchal Network hopes that such events will be organized by other Metropolises in the future.
