An Interview with Lori Doyle

by Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D.

Dr. Knight: This is a time of repentance and remorse in the Church and we can see the need for forgiveness in the midst of all the turmoil. How do you think we can continue to inspire the faithful?

Lori: We need to be beacons of hope to all. We need to deliberate on ways we can lead the faithful to restore the trust necessary to continue. This is a long-term problem and our Holy Father will need to be tough on remediation. In some ways, the cover-up was thought to be remediation but we need to concentrate on transparency It is awful that children were exposed to this type of behavior and of course, didn’t know what to do about it.

Dr. Knight: How were you called to be part of the ministry of care at Holy Name Cathedral Parish?

Lori: My call to the ministry of care evolved over time. For years I have seen the need people have for the comfort and care of the Church. I started thinking about this when I was in a parish in Philadelphia as an extraordinary minister of Communion. I realized that to bring Christ to people who couldn’t come to Church was of such importance. I studied spiritual healing as I have been through cancer. I combined my cancer with spiritual healing and was able to help myself through many aspects of cancer that I was enduring. When I got to Holy Name Cathedral, I became even more involved in the ministry of the Church, My background was in Business, especially marketing which I began to use in keeping with the call I received. So I helped ‘market’ the Church to the faithful. I still was called to help be ‘present’ to people in time of need. I especially wanted to help the families. My mantra was “Let me take care of you now!” So now I help the priest prepare for Mass and funeral. I am present to the family for comfort in their grief in losing a person that they loved. I end up doing many idiosyncratic tasks to help the family.

My son and my step-children are the most important ministry I do. It helps me understand the importance of family and its needs.

Dr. Knight: What is the challenge of your ministry?

Lori: Although I am scheduled to do this ministry three days a week, our lives don’t parse out in that way so I often spend a great deal of time with people comforting them in their time of sorrow. We had more funerals this year in five months than we had all of last year. Our challenge is to assist others in performing this ministry so that all can be served in a way that is helpful to all. There are many people in the parish who can perform this ministry when we assist them in learning how to do so. There were over 26 who were part of ministry training this year who bring Communion and pray with people in hospital rooms and in assisted living facilities. People are grateful for this special kind of interaction with the Lord and look forward to the specific day that the minister comes to bring them Communion.

Dr. Knight: Our use of social media is certainly part of what we need to deal with in ministry. In what ways do you see it used effectively in ministry?

Lori: The technology that we have today certainly helps us to communicate with others. We need to critically analyze the content of the message so that we can make this type of communication both effective and efficient. Our use of social media has grown astronomically over time and we need to let ourselves take time away from our electronics to center ourselves in Christ. We need to help others use media effectively so we can make a difference in people’s lives. The more we can empower others to use media effectively, the kinder, and more compassionate and loving our communication can become.

Dr. Knight: What do you do in your leisure time?

Lori: I am an avid Eagle’s fan and I enjoy this activity with some of my Eagle friends at a sports bar. I am also an excellent cook and love to bring food to others. It is a way to show love for others.

I’ve now had cancer three times and have survived and flourished because of my faith and excellent medical care. I’ve moved from the West Coast to the East Coast and now I am settled in the Midwest and doing well with friends and the Church that provides so much for all of us. I continue to look for ways to be of service to my community and to my Church.

Dr. Knight: Thank you for doing this very important ministry that assists others in bringing them Christ at a vulnerable time.