JourneyOnline
The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital are highlighting chaplaincy services for patients as part of Pastoral Care Awareness Week from 2-10 October 2005.
Chaplaincy services at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital offer a comprehensive service across a range of faith groups.
The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital has 35 Chaplains available across 12 different faith groups. When patients are admitted to the hospital, they are asked if they would like to see a chaplain. If they are interested in speaking to a chaplain, a chaplain of their denomination of choice will visit them in the ward.
Chaplains at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital also provide memorial services in the Chapel and even the occasional wedding of a patient in the hospital.
The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital has full time chaplains in Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Churches. Chaplains work part time at the hospital from the Baptist Church, the Churches of Christ, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church, and Salvation Army and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Rev Iris Carden, Chairperson of Chaplaincy Services at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, said Chaplaincy Services could also usually locate a representative from faith groups not represented within the hospital services from the community outside the hospital, if required.
“There is a chapel located on the ground floor of the Ned Hanlon Building which holds a service six days a week,” Ms Carden said.
“The services are broadcast throughout the Hospital so all patients can view them via the internal television system.
“There is also a Memorial Garden for early pregnancy loss in the grounds of the Hospital, for families who have lost a baby at less than 20 weeks.
“The Memorial Garden is a peaceful place where anyone can go to pray or even just take some time out to reflect.
“A monthly memorial service is held in the hospital chapel, on the second Thursday of the month at 2pm, and then in May each year we have a service to inter the ashes in the memorial garden.”
Photo : Rev Iris Carden
