Pastoral Ministries is seeking volunteers, as ‘Pastoral Care Visitors’, to assist hospital chaplains to visit Catholic patients and distribute Holy Communion.
A growing demand for support services from Catholic patients has prompted this request for new volunteers to come forward.
Pastoral Care is an essential part of caring for people who are sick or dying, and also involves supporting the families and hospital staff. Hospitals view chaplaincy as a key part of holistic care and recognises research that indicates patients who receive pastoral and spiritual care are more likely to get well and go home sooner.
Director of Pastoral Ministries, Teresa Brierley sees the importance of connecting with Catholics and their families who are in hospital.
“People need people, and we currently don’t have enough human resources to provide this face-to-face contact,” Teresa said.
Volunteers are needed for up to 15 hours a week at the several hospitals that make up the John Hunter Hospital complex. Volunteers are required to provide support to the hospital Chaplaincy Team who provide pastoral and spiritual care to patients, their families and staff at: John Hunter Hospital, John Hunter Children’s Hospital, Royal Newcastle Centre, Newcastle Private Hospital and Rankin Park Hospital. This care is provided on a daily basis during the week and an on-call basis after hours.
If you are someone who would like to minister to the sick, has previous experience in ministry in a parish, aged-care or hospital setting, and enjoys listening to people’s stories, this may be for you.
People who are unwell can be at their most vulnerable and we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus and ‘visit the sick’ (Matthew 25:34).
Chaplains and Pastoral Care workers/visitors give expression to the faith of believers; bring reconciliation between people and with God; support those in suffering and crisis; help struggling people find purpose and meaning, value and direction, hope and peace; and bring a theological perspective to the hospital’s philosophy and duty of care.
For more information about this position, and to apply, go to https://www.mn.catholic.org.au/about/careers/positions-vacant/. Applications close 30 June 2019.
