A Final Hope

By Deacon Cliff Donnelly

When life begins to fall apart, people often begin looking for God. Illness, injury, and the proximity of death tend to strip away our illusions of control. For many who are hospitalized — especially those facing the end of life — the heart opens in ways it may not have in decades. This vulnerability becomes holy ground, a final opportunity for grace to break through.

The Gospel parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matt 20:1-16) reminds us that God’s mercy is not measured by the hour we arrive but by our willingness to respond. Some are called early in the day, others in the afternoon, and some in the last hour — but all receive the same reward. In the same way, those who have been distant from the Church or the sacraments often find in their suffering a surprising invitation to return.

This is where hospital-based Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs) become true instruments of hope and mercy. These ministers are often present in sacred moments — when a patient reaches for God, sometimes after decades away from the Church. They carry the Body of Christ not only as a sacrament but as a lifeline of peace, reconciliation, and profound love. Many have witnessed a quiet miracle: a patient who believed they were beyond God’s reach receiving the Eucharist with trembling hands, tears streaming down their face, and a heart finally open to grace.

As we journey through this Jubilee Year of Hope, these ministers embody what the Church proclaims —that hope is never extinguished, no matter how late the hour. Their quiet, compassionate presence at the bedside is a lived response to the words of Pope Francis: “God never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking for mercy.”

In those final moments, the Church comes close —through her ministers, her sacraments, and her prayers. And in that closeness, the door of grace swings open. Even as the body weakens, the soul is offered strength for the journey home.

Late last year, one EMHC visited the hospital room of a woman named Denise, who had just learned that her cancer was terminal. Doctors told her she had only weeks to live. Denise was a cradle Catholic but had left the Church more than 40 years earlier following a divorce. Though her first marriage had been sacramental and blessed with four children, she later remarried, had three more children, and lived estranged from the Church for decades.

But now, facing death, Denise longed to reconcile with the faith of her youth. The EMHC who visited her room recognized the urgency of her need and contacted a deacon chaplain who happened to be in the facility that day.

The deacon quickly realized Denise was not only close to death but in a profound spiritual crisis. He arranged for a priest to visit her at home while she was under hospice care. That priest heard her confession, granted absolution, and anointed her with the Sacrament of the Sick. The transformation was immediate. The priest later shared that Denise had gone from despair to deep peace in a matter of moments.

The same deacon continued to visit Denise at home several times a week, bringing her the Eucharist. On one of his early visits, Denise said, “Coming back to the Church is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Being away all these years was like a wound I didn’t know I had. I’m ready to meet Jesus now.”

When Denise first entered hospice, she wasn’t expected to live more than a week or two. Instead, she lived more than three months, three joyful, spiritually vibrant months. A laborer who came late to the vineyard, she received the fullness of God’s generosity. When she died, she received a Catholic funeral surrounded by her husband, children, and grandchildren. Many commented on how full of joy and peace she had been during her final days. She had hope — and that hope was sparked by one hospital EMHC who recognized a soul in need and acted. That minister may very well have helped save Denise’s soul.

In the Diocese of Colorado Springs, we are blessed to have committed hospital EMHCs serving at AdventHealth Parker, Penrose – St. Francis and Memorial Hospital systems. If you feel called to this ministry, please contact Deacon Cliff Donnelly at cdonnelly@diocs.org to learn more. Your presence might be the very hope that helps bring a soul home.

(Deacon Cliff Donnelly is Director of Prison and Jail Ministry, Special Projects and Chaplain for Retired Clergy for the Diocese of Colorado Springs.)