Key Takeaways
- A Compassionate Presence: Crossroad Companions pairs individuals facing a terminal diagnosis with a trained companion to offer steady, non-clinical pastoral support.
- Holistic Guidance: The service provides emotional and practical assistance, from discussing personal legacy to navigating palliative care information and early grief.
- Support for the Whole Family: Recognising the heavy emotional toll, companions also extend their care to family members and carers carrying the weight of the journey.
- Accessible to All: Available regardless of religious belief, this flexible service can be accessed in person or over the phone, with options to explore government funding for eligible individuals.
CatholicCare Diocese of Broken Bay has launched Crossroad Companions, a new non-clinical pastoral support service designed to walk alongside people from the moment of a terminal diagnosis through to the end of life.
The program pairs individuals with a trained companion who offers a steady, compassionate presence – someone to listen, sit quietly, and honour what matters most.
When a terminal diagnosis arrives, life can change in an instant. Suddenly the future feels uncertain, familiar roles shift, and a person’s identity can become consumed by illness. Crossroad Companions was created to ensure no one has to face that journey alone.
“We don’t try to fix problems or make decisions for you,” Crossroad Companions Team Lead Vanessa Fadda explains. “Our role is to be with you, offering choices, information, and support so you can live as fully and meaningfully as possible.”
Companions can help with a wide range of emotional, practical and spiritual needs, including conversations about fears, hopes, and unfinished matters; and guidance around relationships and personal legacy. Companions can also provide information about palliative care, advocate for a person’s wishes, and help families begin to navigate grief.
Crossroad Companions extends its support beyond the person who is ill to include family members and carers, recognising that those closest to them may also need a compassionate presence to help carry the emotional and practical weight of this time.
The service is available to anyone regardless of religious belief. While CatholicCare is a faith-based organisation, spiritual support is entirely optional and companions will always follow the lead of the person they are supporting.
Support can be provided in person or over the phone, and individuals are free to stop the service at any time.
Government funding may be available to support people in the last months of life at home. We can help you find out if you are eligible. Payment plans are also an option.
Fell free to contact Crossroad Companions using the links below,
CatholicCare’s Crossroad Companions Coordinator will be in touch to understand your needs and answer any questions, before arranging an initial meeting with your companion if you’d like to proceed.
