Hospital Chaplains - A Chance to Serve

Many people in the area want pastoral care when they experience the strong feelings produced by a crisis in their lives or the lives of their loved ones.

John is bright, articulate and self-aware. He is also profoundly affected by his own struggle with mental illness. He is not a member of any particular faith community, but has his own personal faith in God. Sometimes he feels alone, abandoned, a danger to himself.

John was visited by a pastoral visitor. A strong connection was formed which allowed him to express his feeling freely. The pastoral visitor reinforced the benefit of the 'cry for help' which had brought John into medical treatment. The visit ended with prayer and a shared sense of comfort.

This was not magic, but simply a listening with the heart, which opens a space for faith and for healing.

Prayer and emotions are often a part of the role of a pastoral visitor. Beatrice was about to have a mastectomy. She had known that this was coming for more than two months, and had feared the day. Before the surgery, she asked to see the chaplain who had come onto the Ambulatory Care Unit. The chaplain noted: "We talked, we laughed, we cried, and I offered the prayer that she asked me to say for her."

Does this sound like it could be you, bringing peace into the life of another?

One of our chaplains came onto the Women's Health unit just a few minutes after an unexpected miscarriage. She offered to meet with the family, but the request was declined. Their own pastor was on his way and they felt that they had enough support for their spiritual needs. The chaplain then talked with the hospital staff who had worked with the family, and arranged to return a week later to meet with any staff would like to talk about their experiences. She also met with some friends of the patient who were about to visit and who were asking for advice on how to approach their friend and her husband at this time.

Chaplains don't have all the answers. But they are willing to be present and to support others as they find their own answers in the midst of hardship.

I asked our volunteers why they willingly give up so much of their time (most of them volunteer two hours a week) and their emotional energy to be present with people who are hurting.

• One of the chaplains answered, 'because there was someone there for me when I needed someone. I'm just giving back what was given to me."
    
• Another, "I've done many things that were fulfilling at the time, but this excels them all." I'm doing something for someone else, and it is very good for me!
     
• Another, "Some of the older patients have so much to tell me about themselves and about faithfulness. It comforts me to know that."
    
• God will be there for me when I'm a patient, and I need to share a prayer request with a chaplain."
     
• Another, "It is the highlight of my week!"

Most of our volunteer chaplains would agree with that last statement.

Volunteers in the pastoral care program come from a wide variety of religious and spiritual backgrounds.