Not only has the nursing corps of St Vincent hospital put their own health at risk fighting the pandemic through 2020 and ’21, but they have also been on the picket line for the past four months fighting for better patient/nurse ratios so that the care each person receives is of the highest quality and, above all, safe. Exhaustion, financial insecurity, anxiety, and trauma have all been surging during this time. Under the suggestion of MNA, Aaron Payson and Mark Nilson have been asked to provide support groups to care for those most affected by the grind of this past couple of years. Two groups have been scheduled to begin in July and held here at Salem. Here is the invitation that went out to the nursing staff:

On so many different fronts, our humanity has been threatened. If not the pandemic, it was the constant intrusive warring of political factions. If not the deep wounds of isolation and separation from those we love, it’s the penetrating pressures of financial instability. If not the gut-wrenching worry for our kids, it’s the oppressive malaise that has set in. As caretakers, we have spent our entire lives trying to outrun and outsmart venerability. It may be just the time to say, “Uncle!” Or, “I’ve run out of armor. Help!”

Mark Nilson and Aaron Payson are two Worcester clergy who wish to invite any who have felt the pain and anguish of the pandemic, and this prolonged work stoppage/conflict to a group sharing experience opening ourselves to the healing of shared conversation. The world can be traumatizing, but together, we can heal the trauma and lighten our way. This is not therapy. It is not a religious gathering. It is simply “One beggar telling another beggar where to get food.”

We envision four sessions, each lasting an hour and a half held on Thursday morning from 10:00 am to 11:30 and Thursday evenings from 7 – 8:30 pm beginning July 15 – Aug 6. Sessions will be held at Salem Covenant Church, 215 E. Mountain St. Worcester, and all COVID guidelines will be followed. To register, please use the following link:

Pray that this might be an effective ministry in our community and that compassion, care, and renewal may be found.