NEW YORK, N.Y. — A wellness survey accompanied by a letter from John O’Connor is being mailed to all friars this month asking them to share health information that will assist the province’s Wellness Committee in helping friars.
J. Patrick Kelly, chair of the committee, and Maureen Deutermann, R.N., M.S.N. a specialist in wellness education, introduced the survey to the guardians on Nov. 14 at their annual meeting during which attendees completed the survery.
The survey, which committee members estimate will require 10 minutes at most to complete, covers the three areas that comprise wellness: physical, emotional and spiritual health.
John encourages all friars to participate in this survey. The area of wellness of friars is important to the provincial, according to John’s letter.
“I have attended a couple of the committee meetings to demonstrate both my interest and involvement in assuring that attentiveness to self-care becomes an integral part of how we live in the Province,” John said. “I accept — as the philosophy indicated — that wellness is each friar’s personal responsibility. However, I also believe it is part of what we owe to one another as brothers.”
John added, ”I am personally asking each of you to complete the one-page wellness survey at your earliest convenience. The committee wants to begin collating the data by mid-December.”
Friars are guaranteed complete confidentiality, according to John who emphasized that friars should “be absolutely honest” to assure the validity of the study.
The committee will use the survey results to determine what it “ought to be offering to friars by way of help and education,” according to Jim who is pictured above with Maureen in St. Petersburg before their presentation.
Questions and ideas about health can be directed to the Wellness Committee by contacting Jim Kelly at 201-280-7644 or Sr. Vicki Masterpaul at 716-373-0200 ext. 3304.