Pastoral Care

Helping Patients Heal in Mind, Body & Spirit

Our chaplains provide spiritual and emotional support to patients and their families. The ultimate goal of pastoral care is to help facilitate healing of mind, body, and spirit. Though patients are routinely visited by the chaplains, a visit can also be arranged by informing staff or by calling the Pastoral Care office. Chaplains provide a safe environment for patients and family members to share what most concerns them. By providing a listening, caring presence, a chaplain can help patients and family members work through the myriad of thoughts and emotions that a health crisis can raise.

Catholic Services

For Catholic patients, communion is brought daily by a priest, deacon, or lay minister. Upon request, the celebration of the sacrament of the sick or the sacrament of reconciliation can also be arranged. Mass is celebrated every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in the Chapel.

Services for People of All Faiths

The Pastoral Care staff works diligently to link patients with their faith community. Pastors of all faith traditions are encouraged and welcomed to visit in order to provide pastoral care to members of their churches.

For families who suffer the death of a loved one who was receiving care through Memorial Hospital, a memorial service is held every four months to support them in their loss. A Grief Recovery program is also offered semi-annually to help families and friends work through the feelings of loss that death inevitably brings.

Infant Memorial Service

Believing in the sacredness and dignity of every life, and to ensure for the perpetual care for your child, the Pastoral Care Staff at Memorial Hospital can arrange infant burials at no cost to the family for women who miscarry at 20 weeks or before. (For stillbirths at 21 weeks or older, a funeral home must be used.) The baby is placed in its own burial capsule separate from all other babies. At the time of the funeral service, all the individual capsules are then placed in a special wooden coffin.

The funeral service respects all faiths and is held on the last Thursday of the months of March, June, and October. The services and burials are held at Fairview Cemetery in Jasper, weather permitting. Otherwise, the Chapel at Memorial Hospital is used. If someone wishes to attend, please email pastoralcare@mhhcc.org.

For further information on these or other pastoral care services, please contact the Pastoral Care Department at (812) 996-0219.