October is Pastor and Clergy Appreciation Month

October is Pastor and Clergy Appreciation Month and we are so grateful for our chaplains and our entire faith community who are living God’s love and helping our patients, families and staff find wholeness and hope. The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped their important work as they have found creative ways to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of the people they serve.

Chaplain Cathi Ruiz, who cares for hospice patients, explains that families have much higher anxiety because they are worried about allowing family and friends to visit. Her work now includes counseling families on the risks and benefits of allowing visitors for their loved ones who are nearing end-of-life.

Mario recalls witnessing a Catholic priest perform last rites as a faithful patient lie peacefully on the hospital bed while a nurse, wearing full protective equipment, held a phone receiver to the patient’s ear. The priest spoke over the phone as he stood solemnly in the hall with his hand on the window of the patient’s room. COVID -19 has challenged humanity on every level, even testing sacred rituals the faithful have relied on for centuries.

The pandemic has limited the physical presence between people, but it cannot contain the spirit or prevent the comfort of God as our chaplains and pastors continue to do their sacred work. Thank you to all those who provide spiritual and emotional care. Your work is essential for us all.