Pastoral Care

Chaplaincy Services

VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital's chaplaincy services are committed to caring for all our patients, their families and our staff. At a time of physical and or emotional stress our chaplain comes to you as a friend to provide compassion, empathetic listening and a nonjudgmental presence.

The chaplain is assisted with over twenty volunteer local clergy. Through their combined efforts, pastoral care is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Reasons to ask for Chaplaincy Services:

• Anxious
• Afraid
• Upset
• Overwhelmed
• Grieving
• Hopeless
• Lonely
• Facing death
• Wondering:
  • Why do I have this disease?
  • Why me? Why now?
  • Is it okay to be angry with God?
  • Will God forgive me?
  • What will it feel like to die?
  • Will I have a future after death?

What will the Chaplaincy Services provide you?

• Confidentiality
• Respect your faith or non-religious preferences
• Allow you to express whatever you are thinking & feeling
• A trusted friend to help you explore your questions & search for answers that make sense to you
• Compassion
• Empathetic Listening
• Nonjudgmental presence
• Offer prayer
• Be an emotional & spiritual resource to you in time of crisis or confusion
• God’s vessel to impart comfort and peace as well as to celebrate your joys and victories
• Provide meaningful ritual associated with your faith when requested
• Contact your minister upon your request

How to Contact Chaplaincy Services?

• If in the hospital:
  • Ask your nurse for a chaplain visit or
  • Dial “0” for the switchboard & ask for the chaplain
• If outside the hospital:
  • 434-865-5036 & leave a message

Chapel

Our chapel is located on the second floor. It is always open to our patients, family members and staff to meditate and pray. A prayer journal is provided for you to record your prayers. Regularly, our hospital chaplain will pray for these requests.

Assistant Chaplain Ministry

These are ministers from our communities who volunteer their time in providing pastoral care for our patients, their families and staff for our hospital. They compassionately serve in either providing emergency on-call coverage for our hospital or visit hospital and or hospice patients as assigned by the chaplain. Continued training is provided for our volunteer clergy through the Chaplaincy Services.

Individuals desiring to serve in the Assistant Chaplain Ministry shall have Ordination/License or Endorsement by their Faith Group or be enrolled in Religious or Theological Studies in a college or school of Theological Studies, have life experience in a ministry setting and or specialized training for ministry. You’re also required to attend a Hospital Orientation and Chaplaincy Service Training.