Fr. Mark Matthew Payne Fr. Mark (Matthew) Payne

We've created this site to keep friends and family updated. We appreciate your prayers and your support.  Fr. Mark (Matthew) is 64 years old and was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia several years ago.  As a result of the disease (which is like a combination of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's) he retired from teaching, administration, backpacking and ministry.  He has been experiencing serious vision loss as well.  He was being cared for by his brother Monks at Newark Abbey until a few months ago when the needs for his care outgrew their ability to meet them.  Since then he has been living in the memory unit at Allendale Community, a nursing home in northern New Jersey, where he was receiving visitors on a regular basis from monks, faculty, staff, friends, and family.    In a rather dramatic change from even a few weeks ago, he is currently at a point where he is not very aware of his surroundings, rarely recognizes a visitor, is no longer is able to feed himself, cannot walk, usually does not speak intelligibly, and experiences bouts of extreme agitation.  Several days ago, he was moved to the intensive nursing wing for palliative care.