Maryanne Burgmann seldom left her husband, Mark, during his 18-month battle with Parkinson’s disease. Now she’s co-leading a new monthly support group at her Maple Glen church for caregivers on a similar journey.
“I just want them to know they’re not alone,” the retired Catholic school teacher said.
The first meeting of Nourish for Caregivers at St. Alphonsus Parish is Thursday, April 16, from 3 to 4:15 p.m. in the church narthex meeting room. The parish is the fifth in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to implement the national parish-based, lay-led ministry.
In May 2023, the Burgmanns were retired and living at the Jersey shore when Mark, a retired Philadelphia police captain, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Parkinson’s. The disease progressed quickly.
“I had to — no, I didn’t have to, I wanted to — take care of him myself until I couldn’t anymore,” Burgmann, 66, said. Even after her husband moved to a care facility a year later, she spent five to six hours a day with him. “He did get wonderful care, but I needed to be there.”
Within months of Mark’s diagnosis, the Burgmanns had relocated to the Philadelphia suburbs to be closer to their sons in Ardmore and Warrington. The couple, former longtime members of Our Lady of Calvary Parish in Northeast Philadelphia, joined St. Alphonsus in January 2024.
The pastor, deacons, and parishioners offered overwhelming support, Burgmann said. When Msgr. Brian P. Hennessy mentioned the parish was considering starting a caregiver ministry, she wanted to help.
“I was really drawn to this … because I know how much I needed it,” she said.
Mark passed away in 2024, the day after Thanksgiving. He had just turned 65.
Burgmann knows what it’s like to be angry — and to feel guilty and selfish about asking for help; these are very natural emotions experienced by caregivers.
“What I want to do is just listen to them, to let them know that’s all normal,” she said.
Nourish for Caregivers is a Christ-centered Catholic program supporting the practical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those caring for spouses, aging parents, children, and others. The national program offers a faith perspective while providing useful tools and resources and a forum for shared experiences.
“This is going to touch and help so many people,” said Lisa Rodgers, discipleship formation director at St. Alphonsus and a former caregiver for her parents. “I wish something like this had been available for me, something faith based. It’s hard to know when you’re in the moment what resources are out there.”
Amy Juarez, care manager of the new Catholic Charities of Philadelphia parish eldercare program, is helping Burgmann and her two co-facilitators get the newest ministry off the ground. She is a knowledgeable resource with firsthand experience with caregiver groups at two other Montgomery County parishes, Epiphany of Our Lord in Plymouth Meeting and St. Rose of Lima in North Wales.
Juarez has high praise for Nourish for Caregivers because “it gives people who are in the here and now a space to go to and interact with other caregivers. The group dynamics are wonderful,” she said.
The St. Alphonsus group will meet the third Thursday of every month; each gathering will focus on a faith-based caregiving topic. The discussion next Thursday is about “Roles in Caregiving and Decisions We Make.”
If there is a need — for example, if caregivers cannot attend in person — a hybrid option may be offered in the future.
For more information, contact Rodgers (lrodgers@stalphonsusparish.org, 215-646-4600) or Juarez (ajuarez@ccphila.org, 215-853-7676).
Parishes interested in learning more about Nourish for Caregivers should visit the archdiocesan website. Natalie Morales, director of the Office for Persons with Disabilities and the Deaf Apostolate, can provide information about launching the well-structured, easy-to-implement program.
Some parishes may find Peace in the Storm, a ministry for people with chronic pain and illness and their caregivers, more appropriate.
“My suggestion is to get to know the people in your parish community,” Morales said, then select the program that best meets the congregation’s needs.
As more families navigate caregiving challenges, ministries like these can be a blessing, offering spiritual and practical support.
“It’s OK to ask for help,” Burgmann said. No one has to walk this journey alone.
Share this story