Through our baptism, we are all called to share in the mission of Jesus to love and serve God and each other. As members of the Body of Christ, we are Called to Care to those in need in our parish community and beyond.

The Toronto Archdiocesan Office for Lay Ministry, Chaplaincy and Parish Social ministry (PSM) provides support and assistance with the development and ongoing facilitation of PSM within parishes; assistance to parishes in identifying social needs; provision of education, formation on Catholic Social Teaching; training resources on social analysis and support for continued networking and collaboration with agencies, schools and community groups.

In the York Region, Sr. Mary Mallany, IBVM, area coordinator for parish social ministry, did a 12 week formation workshop at Our Lady Queen of the World Parish in the Fall of 2007, to educate, train and form ministers of care. This workshop is in response to the needs assessment done in the Fall of 2006 where the parish identified the need to reach out to the sick, homebound, elderly, lonely, new immigrants, etc.

The purpose of Parish Social Ministry is to coordinate the parish community’s response to the needs of the community and to educate and support parishioners as they respond to these needs. Parish Social Ministry supports the parishioners to continue the work of Jesus in their lives and that of the community. Parish Social Ministry is grounded in the Catholic Social Teaching and in the principle that the work of charity and justice is the responsibility of all the parishioners through their baptismal call.