St. Raphael the Archangel and Our Lady
St. Dymphna and St. John the Evangelist
The Catholic Aging ministry, in all of its forms-website, book, education, and one on one services -is consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Any good fruit is from Her through her Son, Jesus Christ; any faults are of the ministry.
Q. What does the ministry do?
We offer hope for families impacted by dementia through practical caregiving strategies and through the doctrine & tradition of our beautiful Catholic Faith.
We are pro-life, pro-family, and pro-eternal life.
Q. Who do we specifically aim to serve?
- Caregivers
- Persons Living with Dementia
- Priests, Deacons, Religious, and ministries accompanying families impacted by dementia
Q. Are non-Catholics, non-Christians, and others welcome?
- Absolutely, the Word of Jesus Christ is for everyone. Just know that everything here is aligned with the Catholic Church. We are happy to explain the faith with truth and charity (love), but not willing to water down or bend to the feelings of the world. We ask for God’s grace to do that.
Q. How do we offer hope?
- One-on-one virtual appointments with caregivers for guidance
- The Peace with Dementia Rosary: Education, Intentions, Community
- Speaking at conferences and Catholic parishes
- Our community, including the Dementia Prayer wall for your intentions
- Daily FB videos, weekly e-newsletters, monthly interview videos/podcasts
Q. How can you help further this mission?
- Pray for us
- Hire us
- Share our ministry
- Pledging monthly support at Patreon.
Be sure to browse all of the education on the site, especially the FREE 23-page PDF preview of The Peace with Dementia Rosary.
Please prayerfully consider supporting our dementia ministry with a monthly contribution that works for you and your family. This helps us to offset the costs of web hosting, web design, video production, graphics design, press releases, and more. There are several options and benefits for patrons, including signed books, personal communications, and behind the scenes glimpses into our work. Above all, the most important contributions are your prayers and sharing our educational content.
Latest Podcasts
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From Pain –> Suffering –> Sorrow
In this video from an online retreat by the Monte Christo organization and facilitated by Mr. Kyle Clement, he discussed the 3 figures at the foot of the Cross...
St. Alphonsus Liguori
St. Alphonsus was an Italian Bishop who lived from 1696 – 1787. “Uniformity with God’s Will” is a small book published by TAN books that contains these words relevant...Testimonials
Consider Reading and Sharing
The Peace with Dementia Rosary ministry fills a unique need in bringing hope and support for families experiencing any number of diseases causing dementia. Matthew’s book, videos, and prayer wall connect families to encouragement and tips for caregiving each day.
It is my hope that Catholic families and parishes will consider reading and sharing The Peace with Dementia Rosary book and the ministry’s free education and resources on www.DementiaRosary.com. These resources may be shared to promote dignity, foster inclusion, accompaniment and healing to those families on the dementia journey.
Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond Archbishop of New Orleans
Cool Cup of Water
I would suggest to any care partner, let the Holy Spirit show you how to use this book. Before going to visit your partner, ask for guidance to find the appropriate prayer that would come in handy for that time. Use the resources and suggestions found in the appendices. Whenever possible make time to say at least some of the mysteries with your partner.
Thank you, Matt, for the labor of love that shows the face of Christ and gives a cool cup of water to care partners and their loved ones living with dementia. (Full letter)
Deacon Julius Laurent
Wonderful Pastoral Piece!
I found The Peace with Dementia Rosary to be a wonderful pastoral piece! I was very impressed with your ability to tie together information on OBS-related issues, caregiver insights, and prayer into a rather seamless work. Your commentary was very insightful, compassionate, and supportive. Care partners really do need lots of support. There are many tough motivations going on in such situations (a number of which you accurately identified in the book) and works such as yours can be a real asset to them.
Ralph L. Piedmont, Ph.D., Managing Director, Center for Professional Studies
Matthew Estrade is a gerontologist in the Greater New Orleans area and a parishioner at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Latin Mass Chapel. He attended St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School and Jesuit High School before eventually earning a master’s in gerontology from The University of Louisiana at Monroe.
His grandfather had probable Wernicke-Korsakoff-type dementia in the late 1990s and his mother Yvonne’s response to caregiving inspired him to look into aging studies. Matthew has dedicated his career to serving older adults and their family care partners, with practical education, and with our rich Catholic faith as a foundation.
Locally, Matthew facilitates a monthly family support group at Mary, Queen of Peace in Mandeville, LA, and is developing a facilitator’s guide for parishes everywhere. He is the author of “The Peace with Dementia Rosary: Education, Intentions, Community” which was granted an Imprimatur by Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans. Matthew creates free articles, videos, and podcasts at CatholicAging.com to assist families – including individuals living with dementia-, guide parishes ministries, and equip clergy to pastorally care for the souls entrusted to them.
He lives in Covington, Louisiana with his bride and three children. Matt volunteers as a Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 611 at Our Lady of the Lake Roman Catholic School. He earned his Eagle Scout award in 1992.
For information on Matthew, click on his NIH Biosketch.
