OLD PARAMUS REFORMED CHURCH

HEALTH MINISTRY


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The Labyrinth


Parish Health Ministry recently held an experience known as The Labyrinth. The Labyrinth is an ancient symbol used as a walking meditation by many cultures and religious traditions. It offers a place to assist us in finding peace, managing stress, and healing emotionally and spiritually.

Examples of different labyrinths have been found at ancient sites throughout the world. Some are 3700 years old and their origins are a mystery. During the middle ages labyrinths were created on the floors of many European cathedrals as a substitute for the great pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Of these the most famous is the one at Chartres.

Labyrinths are unicursal, which means that there is a single pathway leading in and out. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth is not designed to confuse or bewilder. There are no blind alleys, no wrong turns and you cannot get lost in it. There is one way in and one way out, leaving no choices for the mind. As a circular symbol, the Labyrinth is an image that represents wholeness, healing, inclusiveness, and community.

Picture Credits: Arlene Berlamino


Old Paramus Reformed Church has stayed at the leading edge of its outreach to its members and to the community it serves throughout its 285 years. The Parish Health Ministry is one example of our striving to provide assistance and guidance for the spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being of all who ask for such help.

Our Parish Health Ministry Director is Carol O'Neill, RN, ACRN. Mrs. O'Neill is a Registered Nurse who works through the church and assists in helping to meet the health care needs of the congregation. As head of the Health Cabinet, the group of people who oversee the planning and implementation of the program, she is responsible for carrying out all aspects of the Parish Health Ministry. Under her direction, the committee has developed the following philosophy for the program.

    To promote the health of a faith community by working with the pastor to integrate the spiritual, psychological, social and physiological perspectives of health and healing.

    To support the understanding and care of human beings as whole persons, body, mind and spirit, in light of their relationships to God, themselves, families and the society in which they live.

Please select from the menu below for information about our Parish Health Ministry.

          Mission Statement of the Parish Health Ministry

          What is Parish Health Ministry?

           What does the Parish Health Ministry do?

           The Health Cabinet and Overview of Program

           Activities of the Parish Nurse

           Blood Pressure Screening