Officials of Good Shepherd Nursing Home in Wheeling have honored Janie Wiley of Wheeling for 22 years of continuous service as a volunteer.
The Rev. John Beckley, S.M., Good Shepherd chaplain, honored Wiley after Mass. He presented her with a plaque that will be installed in the chapel sacristy in recognition of her long years of service.
Wiley reluctantly retired from volunteering because her health would not allow her to walk the long halls of Good Shepherd, where she assisted the priest in distributing the sacrament of Holy Communion to residents.
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Janie Wiley is honored by the Rev. John Beckley, S.M., chaplain of Good Shepherd Nursing Home, Wheeling, for 22 years of volunteer service to the facility.
She said she would "still be at it" if her health would permit it.
Her duties at Good Shepherd included taking care of the chapel, cleaning the chalice, dressing the altar, decorating the chapel for holidays, keeping track of supplies such as flowers, communion hosts and candles, and ordering them when needed.
She altered and hemmed the priests' vestments and distributed Communion to the residents who could not attend Mass. She assisted with Mass six days a week and assisted priests who administered the Sacrament of the Healing to residents every three months.
Wiley said that she enjoyed spending time with residents and their families over the years. Many times she sat and prayed with families who had just lost a loved one. "Getting to know such wonderful people was what I enjoyed most about my years at Good Shepherd," she said.
She encouraged others to explore volunteer opportunities. "It takes no special degree and very little effort to just be kind," she said.
