Pastoral Services

 

Pastoral Services are an integral part of your holistic health care team, offering emotional and spiritual support for you, your relatives and friends. Pastoral care involves respect, empathy and the development of trust. We believe in inviting people to live in the dignity of their own sacred place. 

We endeavour to do this by:

• Affirming the individuality of each person
• Being sensitive to people’s vulnerability
• Listening with respect to people’s stories
• Fostering the person’s own resources of hope, courage, faith, trust and love
• Providing the opportunity for each person to receive whatever guiding, sustaining, reconciling and healing they may choose
• Responding to people’s specific religious needs

The Pastoral Services team includes:

• Professionally trained pastoral practitioners
• Accredited visiting Chaplains from local faith communities.

Pastoral services offer a free, confidential ministry to all patients, relatives and staff, regardless of their religious affiliation. Pastoral practitioners provide a supportive context within which patients can discuss their concerns and are also skilled in supporting any framework of values and responding sensitively. Pastoral services offer spiritual care to all. Pastoral services are recognised by St John of God Health Care as part of the quality health services offered to all those who receive care and their families. This pastoral counselling service is accessible day and night, including weekends.

The above services are available 24 hours, 7 days a week.  To contact Pastoral Services, phone 5320 2503.

In addition to providing acts of worship in the Chapel, the Pastoral Services team are pleased to facilitate religious ministry of your choosing whenever possible. Prayer, communion services and sacramental ministry is available at your bedside on request. 

The Hospital accredits Ministers and Priests appointed by their various denominations. They visit people only within their own denomination. Patients can request the presence of a denominational chaplain by contacting the Pastoral Services.