What is a Chaplain? (I Get Asked This A LOT)
A chaplain is usually a person who is an ordained minister who has been commissioned by their religious faith group to minister in an institution, organization, or governmental agency. Chaplains have additional training for the specialized setting in which they work and are certified by an agency or organization that sets standards for their professional competence. The first chaplains were appointed for personal ministry to monarchs, or noblemen who owned their own chapels. Today chaplains serve in a variety of institutional settings such as hospitals, prisons, businesses, schools, diplomatic facilities and all branches of military service.
Chaplains Offer Spiritual Care
Spirituality is a basic human experience present in all of us. It is characterized by the impulse to impart meaning, value, purpose, connectedness and a sense of hope to our existence. It derives from the Latin word "spiritus" which refers to breath, air or wind. Spirituality is often understood as the life-essence that animates or enlivens who we are.
When facing a crisis, persons will turn to their spirituality as a means of coping. Many attend to their spiritual concerns within religious communities through the use of traditional religious practices, beliefs, and values. They may pray, read sacred texts, and observe rituals that are particular to their tradition. Others focus their spirituality outside traditional religious systems and beliefs. All, however, engage in a universal need to find meaning, purpose and hope in their lives. This is especially evident in times of illness or crisis. Supporting a person’s efforts to cope in the crisis of illness is appropriately thought of as spiritual care because their search leads to spiritual questions and challenges such as: Why do I exist? Why is this happening to me? If I die, what will happen to me? Health care is more than repairing bodies, it is taking care of the WHOLE person.
Chaplains Offer Spiritual Care
Spirituality is a basic human experience present in all of us. It is characterized by the impulse to impart meaning, value, purpose, connectedness and a sense of hope to our existence. It derives from the Latin word "spiritus" which refers to breath, air or wind. Spirituality is often understood as the life-essence that animates or enlivens who we are.
When facing a crisis, persons will turn to their spirituality as a means of coping. Many attend to their spiritual concerns within religious communities through the use of traditional religious practices, beliefs, and values. They may pray, read sacred texts, and observe rituals that are particular to their tradition. Others focus their spirituality outside traditional religious systems and beliefs. All, however, engage in a universal need to find meaning, purpose and hope in their lives. This is especially evident in times of illness or crisis. Supporting a person’s efforts to cope in the crisis of illness is appropriately thought of as spiritual care because their search leads to spiritual questions and challenges such as: Why do I exist? Why is this happening to me? If I die, what will happen to me? Health care is more than repairing bodies, it is taking care of the WHOLE person.
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