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A snapshot of hospital chaplaincy...

10/10/2016

5 Comments

 
Picture
Priests are sometimes asked to take on the role of being a hospital chaplain, being and bringing Christ to those who are sick or dying.  It is a ministry that involves both regular visiting of the wards, and emergency visits any time of the day or night.  Mgr Peter Fleetwood, while also teaching philosophy part-time at Oscott, has recently taken up such a ministry.  Here he shares a little of what that's like...

It is Saturday: I am nearing the end of my weekly 72-hour period on call as number two priest chaplain at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool. Beginning at 7pm on Wednesday, it ends at 7 pm on Saturday. On Thursday, the main chaplain’s day off, I spend the day in hospital, working with our excellent lay chaplaincy staff. As chaplain at Maryton Carmelite Monastery in Allerton, 8 miles away, I celebrate Mass on five (soon to be six) mornings per week. After lunch on Sunday I travel to Oscott, to teach two philosophy courses on Monday. Lecturing and celebrating Mass have been part of my life for nearly 40 years, but hospital chaplaincy is new.

It is exhausting: I have been called out in the middle of the night on all three nights this week.

It is demanding: people can be really raw, angry or full of grief, and there is no advance warning. I feel I am there as much for them as for their sick or dying relative, partner or friend, so need to have my wits about me, even at 2 a.m., because it would be so easy to say just what they don’t want or need to hear.

It is rewarding: in daytime visits I spend time with patients and sometimes their families, and being from Liverpool myself has helped me find so many places and people in common - the perfect ice-breaker. To see a dying man unable to communicate shed tears as I anointed him, and calm down from paroxysms of pain, is one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had. His family were amazed, too. I have had a fascinating variety of jobs as a priest, but I am in no doubt this is what I was ordained for!
5 Comments
Peter Morgan link
10/10/2016 23:35:41

Peter, beautifully and simply presented. My experience is somewhat different. For the last 21 years I have been chaplain to the Liverpool Womens' Hospital. Since 2002 the ministry has been shared by our Deacon. The Hospital is the maternity hospital for Liverpool and a centre of excellence for a much wider area. We have around 9,000 births a year, It is also the centre for Gynaecological surgery. Again a centre of excellence which draws patients from a wide area. When I first started there were many calls to baptise very premature babies and sadly, to bury many of them. This has changed radically during these years. Doctors manage to keep babies inside Mum for longer periods these days, and even when they come at 24 weeks, and even less, their chances of survival have greatly increased. We still get calls to Special Care but our main calls these days, two or three a week, but last week I had eight. are to inter uterine deaths. Some of these are terminations because of severe disability, usually malforming chromosomes incompatible with life. It is always very, very sad. Mothers just overwhelmed, wanting the baby but feeling unable to cope with carrying a child which will not live. My job is love them, be Jesus to them, and present their baby to God. Over the years this ministry has brought amazing rewards. We keep on top of the gynae cancer cases because we visit every patient twice a week.. Normally terminally ill patients move on to a hospice but service in the hospital is so good that some people prefer to stay. We are able to keep close to them in their dying days. We have excellent relations with our Anglican colleague and frequently pray with each other's patients. Probably much more on our part. This is a wonderful ministry, much appreciated by staff as well as patients.

Reply
Peter Maden
11/10/2016 12:04:53

Hi Peter
When i have been in hospital I have always found the hospital chaplains nuns and eucharistic ministers who came to see me as so welcoming. The best ecumenical work is done in hospital. It really is great work that you re doing.

Reply
Eileen Cole
11/10/2016 19:16:31

Thanks so much Fr Peter and Correspondants for your wonderful work.

Reply
Mary Cluderay link
11/10/2016 22:02:52

A moving and inspiring account of your new duties now added to your existing ministry. I oromise prayers and support even if I awake in the small hours! I will share your account with the others.

Reply
Anthony
19/10/2016 20:54:20

May God bless and strengthen you all in your hospital ministries

Reply



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