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Mayor proclaims Oct. 25-31 as Pastoral Care Week

Mayor Bill Paxton presented a proclamation to Western Baptist and Lourdes hospitals on Wednesday proclaiming Oct. 25-31 as Pastoral Care Week.

The presentation took place at Western Baptist during Care for the Caregiver Day, an annual program hosted by the hospital’s Pastoral Care department to honor caregivers.

Chaplain James Wright, director of pastoral care, accepted the proclamation from Western Baptist, while Marianne Potina, vice president of mission integration, and Sister Lucy Bonifas, a chaplain, represented Lourdes.

October is National Pastor Appreciation Month. Western Baptist has four staff chaplains, four intern chaplains and 20 active volunteer chaplains. Their duties include bedside ministering to patients, assisting in advanced directives and “do not resuscitate orders,” counseling staff and blessing newborn babies.

The chaplains are on call 24 hours a day and are assigned to specific units in the hospital. Staff chaplains must be certified through the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education and the Association of Professional Chaplains. They must have a master’s degree from a seminary or equivalent experience in pastoral care. Volunteer chaplains must complete a 10-week course taught by a staff chaplain.

Chaplain Wright said the department ministers to hospital staff, in addition to patients. “This is a way we can honor them as we serve out our mission to ‘exemplify our Christian heritage of providing quality healthcare services by enhancing the health of the people and the communities we serve,’” he said.

To kick off their special week, members of the Pastoral Care department provided special gifts, food and arranged for free massages as a way to honor Western Baptist staff for the care they provide for patients.

“We have some of the finest caregivers at Western Baptist that I have ever been privileged to work with,” Chaplain Wright said. “They are here day in and day out to give constant care for people who have put their trust in us for their health and healing.”