Catholic Care Center Grows Its Senior Living Ministry

Catholic Care Center Acquires Villa Maria and Maria Court Assisted Living into Senior Living Ministry

This “Aging with Grace” article was written by Jennifer Sanders and published in the Catholic Advance, The Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Wichita.

When I began writing this column I pitched the idea to the editor as a way to connect readers with the many resources our diocese has to offer seniors, and to provide insight into senior topics. It is my sincere hope that these columns have done at least some of that, and I’ll continue to work towards this goal in future columns. We truly have some incredible opportunities for seniors within the many parishes and programs of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, but I wonder how many people know just how far back this legacy actually began.

While we hope that most readers are familiar with Catholic Care Center, and we are honored to celebrate our 35th anniversary this year, the diocese’s foray into senior living began much before the creation of Catholic Care Center in 1990. On August 9th, we will gather to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Villa Maria in Mulvane, which was opened in 1950 by then Bishop Mark Carroll. The community was officially dedicated on July 23, 1950, as Villa Maria Home for the Aging, and Bishop Carroll called upon Mother Ventura that the Adorers of the Blood of Christ would be the administrators of the home. For 10 years, the Adorers ran the home, and in 1961, Bishop Carroll transferred the deed of the property to the Sisters.

For the past 75 years, the Adorers have served seniors through their ministry at Villa Maria, and their dedication and passion for senior care has made an incredible impact on the people of Mulvane and the surrounding communities. Senior care is a difficult business to be in with the ever-changing regulations and restrictions, and in 75 years, I can only imagine what the Sisters have encountered.

Recently, the Adorers opted to transfer sponsorship of Villa Maria and the newer Maria Court Assisted Living to Catholic Care Center, bringing the ministry back full circle to being a diocesan-owned senior living ministry. Now, as a ministry of Catholic Care Center, I have the pleasure of helping to support the marketing and admission efforts of Villa Maria. Already, I’ve spoken with families seeking care who are adamant about making their home at Villa Maria because that is where their parents, and sometimes even grandparents, spent their later years. It’s a place of comfort and solace for them, and because many of these people live in Mulvane, it’s truly home.

These conversations have led me to reflect on what this means for us as a diocese, and it occurred to me recently why I have always felt so at home at Catholic Care Center, and why I find our ministry to be so special. I grew up in this diocese, I received all of my sacraments here, and this is home for me. While we are honored to serve people of all faiths at Catholic Care Center, I’ve always felt we offered something extra special for those of the faith. So many times over the years, I’ve seen that spark of acceptance and peace when a new resident or family realizes for the first time that while this might be a new address, it’s somewhere familiar where they belong. They ask about a priest who has served in their home parishes and has since retired, they run into old friends and neighbors in the dining room, or maybe they come into one of our chapels to hear the sacred rite of Mass being celebrated, and it brings them back to the strength and the community that our faith provides us.

We are truly fortunate that for the past 75 years, and in reality much longer than that when you take into account all the work prior of Catholic Social Services, and even the creation of the Catholic hospitals in our area, the faithful of our diocese have had access to faith-centered, spiritually nourishing care for seniors.

As Catholics, we look to the church for many of the most important milestones in our lives. We are baptized here, receive our first holy communion, are confirmed into the faith, are married, and eventually our funeral mass will be celebrated in the church. As members of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, we are fortunate because we also have the opportunity to receive senior living services in diocesan-owned, senior living ministries. At a point in our lives where we may be struggling with physical, emotional, or psychological challenges, we can take comfort in making our home in these Catholic communities where the highest level of clinical care is available in addition to greater access to opportunities to practice our faith. I honestly can’t think of a better combination of care amenities!

Wichita is fortunate that there are a lot of reputable senior living communities in our area, and many offer great care, but for Catholics, that added benefit of receiving these services in a ministry of the church is a unique and wonderful opportunity.

Honestly this is one of the reasons I’ve made my career at Catholic Care Center, and I feel extremely blessed that I’ve been allowed to do so, it’s that I know I could never work with the same passion and energy for another senior community because it wouldn’t be the same as welcoming people to this not-for-profit, mission focused ministry. When I walk out of my office and hear the familiar sounds of our resident led afternoon rosary, see the Carmelite Sisters briskly walking to respond to a resident in their crisp white nursing habit, and smell the lingering scent of incense from the adoration hour, I know that this is where we are called to serve and feel truly honored to be able to welcome new families to our ministry to experience all that we have to offer.

When we watch our staff gather arm-in-arm with a grieving family as they say their final goodbyes to a loved one and stand together in prayer, sending them forward with the same enthusiasm as we welcomed them on their first day, I am reminded why our ministry is unique, and it is my heartfelt wish that even more seniors and families would bless us with the opportunity to serve them in one of our many facets of our ministry, on any of our campuses. We might not always be the shiny new building, but we are the faith-focused home that we’ve been called to be, 75 years in the making.

Looking for faith-based retirement communities in Wichita or Mulvane?

From skilled nursing to senior living, independent living, or assisted living – our Catholic Care Center, Villa Maria, or Maria Court communities would love to provide a vibrant, caring home when you or a loved one is ready. Contact us for more information or to schedule a tour.