Pope Leo XIV’s 2025 apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te addresses caregivers and emphasizes their importance in a suffering world. In it, he declared, “The Christian tradition of visiting the sick, washing their wounds, and comforting the afflicted is not simply a philanthropic endeavor, but an ecclesial action through which the members of the Church ‘touch the suffering flesh of Christ.’”
Within the context of an aging United States population, there is a particularly urgent need to minister to those suffering from chronic illness and to the people who take care of them. According to the CDC, approximately 194 million adults in the US experience one or more chronic illnesses, while the AARP reports that there are more than 63 million adult caregivers.
of The Peace in the Storm Project
Understanding that both the suffering and their caregivers experience loneliness and isolation, a new Catholic ministry called The Peace in the Storm Project aims to accompany them both to help foster faith, fellowship, and peace. The project, founded in 2023 by Catholic author Maureen Pratt, is available to dioceses, parishes, and individuals.
The project “seeks to eliminate the isolation from parish life and disconnection from God often experienced by caregivers and persons with chronic illness, ongoing pain, disability, and other life challenges.” It accomplishes this through small parish groups that utilize Pratt’s devotional entitled Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain and Illness, her book Peace in the Storm for Caregivers, and her discussion guides.
Pratt shared with Celebrate Life Magazine, “Our spiritual journey is what The Peace in the Storm Project focuses on. Always with Jesus in mind and heart, no matter how tough the journey might be, we have the example of Jesus all the way to the crucifixion.”
No stranger to illness
Pratt deeply understands chronic suffering, as her life has been plagued by pain and illness; because of this, she felt isolated and alone for much of her youth. When she felt sad, her mother would encourage her to pray, telling her that in times of suffering and loneliness she could “always talk to God.” That advice helped her make a connection with Him.
After earning an MFA from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Pratt gained success as a playwright, but lupus (an autoimmune disease where the body attacks healthy cells and tissues) changed the course of her life, and she left behind her dreams of working as a scriptwriter.
Maureen recalled, “My rheumatologist said, ‘Lupus is trying to kill you, and if you don’t do something about it, it will.’ It was a complete shift in the direction of my life.”
Instead of following her dream of writing scripts and plays, Pratt found herself coauthoring a book about lupus and authoring a book on hypothyroidism—another disease that ails her. During a lupus flare, she journaled about her faith and the challenges she faced with the disease. Those journal entries became Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain and Illness. The book contains 110 short reflections framed with a scripture verse and ending with a prayer, all focused on faith and life with serious health challenges. From the start, Pratt hoped the book would be used by Catholic parishes to support those with chronic pain and illness. However, it took nearly 20 years before God opened the door to that possibility.
Envisioned ministry comes to life
In 2021, Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain and Illness was first used at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in New Canaan, Connecticut. Two years later, Pratt wrote the first discussion guide, and the ministry was formally organized as The Peace in the Storm Project. The next year, inspired by her experience of taking care of her ailing mother, Pratt wrote Peace in the Storm for Caregivers, and soon groups for caregivers were formed.
Currently, nearly 20 Catholic dioceses have begun to incorporate The Peace in the Storm Project in their parishes. Fr. Daniel Carson of St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Washington, DC, acts as chaplain for the project and leads it in his parish. He knows personally how chronic illness and pain can impact a person’s life. For 23 years, he has suffered, and over the past four years he has undergone three major spine surgeries.
Fr. Carson shared his story with Celebrate Life Magazine and said he needed the solace he found in The Peace in the Storm Project and “knew there were others in the pews who needed it too.” He said that sharing feelings and stories in a group setting offers “a great sense of connection” because the members “understand each other’s experiences, support each other, give an outlet to speak openly within the group, and especially look to our faith on how to navigate the journey that has a lot of uncertainty.”
Involving the laity
Many of the individuals who reach out to Pratt are homebound with serious health conditions or caregiving situations, and they are looking for ways to connect with those experiencing similar situations. Pratt provides them with the tools to start a ministry in their parish.
To reach as many people as possible, the project offers options for in-person or online/hybrid groups. Members follow the formats in the project’s discussion guides, and the ministry provides training sessions for group facilitators. The Peace in the Storm Project also serves individuals through webinars and retreats, held both online and in person. And on November 6 and 7, 2026, the ministry will offer an online and in-person simultaneous pilgrimage with the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, in Champion, Wisconsin. The first day will be fully online for everyone, and the second day will be in person for those participants who are able to travel to the shrine and online for those who cannot. The pilgrimage will include Adoration, a rosary, Mass, reflections from the shrine, and packets of information about chronic pain. Pratt hopes this pilgrimage will be the first of many. The Peace in the Storm Project has helped countless people find peace, and Pratt wants caregivers and those suffering to understand that God walks with them through even the darkest times. Her program is a tangible reminder of this and that there are always friends to comfort the suffering during their time of need.
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