Hospital chaplaincy
Many Loreto Sisters work as chaplains in general and children’s hospitals, accompanying people with compassion and sensitivity in times of crisis and loss. Their non-intrusive and gentle manner, coupled with their quiet listening and understanding, is often the first contact with the church that patients and families have had in many years.
"My role was to support all who needed support - to walk beside the person in their shoes.”
Pat Leadbetter ibvm
Pat Leadbetter ibvm shares her experiences as a hospital chaplain
I started pediatric nursing when I was 17 years old and spent about 20 years in the field before going into aged care. I was a charge nurse at RCH in the early eighties.
After entering Loreto in 1998 I had the opportunity to complete three units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Units including an advanced unit. Following my first vows I worked at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney on the palliative care unit in pastoral care ministry for about three 3 years.
I started work as the Catholic chaplain at the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) in 2005 and stayed about four and a half years. My main area of ministry was in the children's cancer centre and the neo-natal unit. As a team we supported anyone in the wards and also referred them to appropriate services according to their needs.
The work was very intensive as babies/children were very sick and often receiving challenging treatments, including chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants and life threatening surgery. Families came to the RCH from all over Victoria and interstate, especially Tasmania. Often one or both parents would be at RCH with their sick child while siblings were cared for by relatives or friends. This situation could go on for months or commonly two to three years, so the illness of one child affected the whole family and extended family. My role was to support all who needed support - to walk beside the person in their shoes.
Moments that have stayed with me include the time I was called in at midnight when a baby had been transferred from a country hospital to the RCH neo-natal unit in a very poor state. The baby was on life support and the parents wanted the baby baptised before life support was withdrawn. Through the night the baby was doing well so the parents decided to take their first night 'off'. Soon after the baby collapsed with something that can happen with premature babies. I baptised the baby, then he was put on 'portable 'life support and taken to a quiet room with parents and family where he died.
I remember the dying babies that I baptised, prayers and blessings that I gave, helping arrange and conduct funerals for children I had known for 3 or more or less years.
However, I also remember the children who survived.
Recently in Ballarat I saw a young girl with long flowing hair. I recognised her and her father. This child had been diagnosed with leaukemia about three years ago, had undergone chemotherapy and lost all her hair. She is now healthy with beautiful long hair. So there are many good stories.
My role at the RCH also included supporting staff and volunteers, involvement with bioethics and bereavement groups, occupational health and safety committee and contributed to the planning of the sacred space for the new children’s hospital.
“It is a privilege to be with people, whether patients or their families, when they most need it.”
Helen Maguire ibvm
Helen Maguire ibvm shares her experiences in hospital ministry
After finishing as Head of the Junior School at Loreto Mandeville Hall at the end of 1996 I did a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) unit at Peter MacCallum Institute for Cancer in Melbourne.
I moved to Sydney in 1998 and into Hospital ministry at the Westmead Children’s hospital as part of an Ecumenical Chaplaincy Team. I was employed by the Diocese of Parramatta as a Catholic Chaplain.
While it was recognised that my role was to Catholic patients and families as required, on a day to day basis I worked full time in the units I was assigned to. These were the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, The Burns Unit and the Adolescent Unit. The work was both challenging and rewarding and I worked in this capacity for five years. Each of these units had long-term patients and I was closely involved and “walking beside” parents in very stressful and sometimes very traumatic situations. My work in the adolescent unit was with the patients themselves, teens with cystic fibrosis, anorexia, cancer and other illnesses.
I worked at Westmead for five years as part of a very vibrant team and in a ministry that was highly valued at the hospital. During this time I did an advance CPE course at Royal North Shore Hospital.
I began working at the Mater Hospital in North Sydney in 2004 and this is my current ministry. I am employed as a Pastoral Care Councillor. My role is much the same but the Mater has a Catholic Priest on call so the titles are not to be confused! Again each member of our team is assigned to areas of the hospital and I currently work in intensive care, surgery (mainly cardiac and vascular but not exclusively) and the renal dialysis unit. Of these, the latter are long-term patients and I am very involved in their lives and those of their families. Intensive care is very challenging as these patients are usually extremely ill and my work is supporting their families and providing follow up for these families. Our team holds three memorial services a year in our hospital chapel and families appreciate this. I also offer blessings for all newborns and love keeping in touch with past students and their growing families.
The challenges are many and the work can be very stressful at times. The value of working in assigned areas means that I am part of the team of medical and allied health. This means my role is recognised and understood and the staff refer regularly. The Mater has a policy that every patient is to have had a pastoral visit within 24 hours of admission and this is sometimes, for various reasons, hard to achieve. This ensures that a holistic approach is offered. I am also available for all staff in my areas of work and this is not only reassuring for them but they appreciate having someone to talk to when they need it.
What helps me? I am part of a wonderful pastoral care team. There are eight of us and we meet daily for prayer and lunch. We support each other as needed and debrief regularly. We have an annual retreat day (off campus) just for our team and reflection days with the pastoral teams from St Vincent’s, Darlinghurst and St Joseph’s, Auburn. We must take 10 sessions of supervision (individual) by trained counsellors (preferably with some hospital knowledge or background).
The rewards? It is a privilege to be with people, whether patients or their families, when they most need it. I particularly like working with long-term patients (renal unit) as this is ongoing ministry and involves working with the staff and their families. Many are awaiting transplants and the stress that that involves. Some get kidneys, some don’t. Some new kidney’s work, some fail. Some patients are too sick to be eligible to go on the list and this hurts. The age range varies from 22 to 91 years and it is quite a journey for each one. My journey with them is accompanying them where they are as a support and listening ear.
Photos from top:
Pat Leadbetter ibvm with Chris Burke ibvm at her profession
Helen Maguire ibvm
Helen Maguire ibvm blessing a baby
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