To be hospitalized or admitted to a nursing home can be extremely challenging. Many people find that talking with a chaplain can help during this period. Chaplains provide spiritual support to patients, family members, friends, and staff members at St. Mary’s Health System, d’Youville Pavilion, and St. Mary’s Residences.
An integral part of our health care team, chaplains are available around-the-clock to be a caring presence, offer spiritual and emotional support, and listen with openness and understanding. Patients and families are encouraged to call a chaplain when experiencing feelings of fear, anger, loneliness, helplessness, anxiety, grief, or loss, or when they just need someone to talk to. The priest chaplain is available to celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick and Dying.
Chaplains are available to support all our patients regardless of their beliefs and religious affiliation. Patients do not need to be affiliated with a congregation or faith community to call a chaplain. However, if you do belong to a community, we can notify your home faith community to make a visit. Your minister, rabbi, or other spiritual advisor may visit you or your family member at any time.
Our chaplains address:
Spiritual Needs
- Celebrating healing and gratitude
- Coping with suffering loss, grief, change or discouragement
- Ethical decisions regarding continuing or ending treatment
- Searching for meaning and hope
Religious Concerns
- Prayer, scripture and faith
- Perceiving God’s presence or absence
- Reconciliation or forgiveness
Specific Sacramental or Denominational Needs
- Bible, Torah, Koran or other spiritual resources
- Anointing of the Sick
- Communion, reconciliation, baptism or blessings
- Contacting church, parish, synagogue, mosque or other religious communities
For more information about Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy Services, please call 207-777-8520.
Intensive Prayer Circle
Part of our holistic approach to healing is to focus on people’s spiritual well-being. We instituted a prayer request book for patients/families, and have been touched by the entries in the book. We invite you to use the link below to enter your own prayer request, which a member of our Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy will pray for during an Intensive Prayer Circle, held each Wednesday.