During my years as a Hospice volunteer, I had some very moving and meaningful experiences. One, in particular, stands out.

I was visiting Theresa, a patient in a nursing home, where visitations by family members or friends are often few and far between. She was Catholic and her room was filled with images of her faith. Theresa often shared her loneliness with me. One day, when she seemed weaker than usual, I asked if there was anything she wanted–water, music, prayer, a priest. She looked at me with a smile and pointed to a statue of Mary, on which hung her rosary beads.