Celebrating Spiritual Care at the MUHC

This week marks Spiritual Care Awareness Week, and we want to highlight our spiritual care practitioners who play a special role within the multidisciplinary team. Here are 5 lesser-known facts about their work.

Spiritual care is a non-confessional service. Regardless of the spiritual care professional’s own spiritual tradition, she or he has been trained to support patients, families, and staff in their respective beliefs and meet them on their own path. In fact, our service regularly supports people who do not identify with any particular faith tradition. By cultivating compassionate presence, spiritual care professionals provide a space for people of all backgrounds to be present in what they are living.

“We have a conviction that everyone is meant to feel included spiritually,” says Andrew Kearns, Coordinator for Adult Spiritual Care Services.

Professional sports teams, rehabilitation centres, and community groups like homeless shelters make use of spiritual care. Even the Montreal police force (SPVM) offers spiritual resources. That’s because spirituality can address deeper needs that come up in the face of tragedy and challenging circumstances. Hospitals are an epicentre for asking ourselves the deeper questions in life, and spiritual care professionals are available to listen without judgment and help one explore how to live with change and uncertainty.

Patients, family members, and staff can unload their emotional burdens in the presence of spiritual care professionals. In the face of complex health situations, it is common to feel anger, fear, and powerlessness. In every case, a spiritual care professional is trained to help one sit with these challenging emotions and reflect on how to integrate them in a meaningful way.

In the midst of suffering, a spiritual care professional provides an important reminder: a person is more than just their experience with illness. Spiritual care professionals help patients and families restore their sense of identity. It’s about remembering the different aspects of your being, to achieve back your sense of wholeness.

Spiritual Care is available at the MUHC 365 days a year. Patients and families can request to speak with a spiritual care professional through their care team.  If a staff member feels that a patient or family member is experiencing spiritual distress or would benefit from emotional support, we can be reached by paging our service through locating.  In additional, there are prayer and meditation rooms at each hospital site of the MUHC. 

Click here to find out more.