Chaplains

To quote from Wikipedia: “A chaplain is typically a priest, ordained deacon or other member of the clergy serving a group of people who are not organized as a mission or church, or who are unable to attend a church for various reasons; such as health, confinement, or military or civil duties; lay chaplains are also found in other settings such as universities. For example a chaplain is often attached to a military unit, a private chapel, a ship, a prison, a hospital, a high school, colleges…”

In this Diocese, we have chaplains in campus ministry, the armed forces, in health care and clergy and lay people who visit prisons and high schools.

Health Care Chaplains in the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island

The Chaplains:
The Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island has three Health Care Chaplains. Two work at the Halifax Infirmary Site of the Capital Health District Authority, and the other is located at the Victoria General Site of the same District, the IWK Grace Health Care Centre and is the Diocesan Coordinator of Health Care Chaplains. Chaplains provide both clinical spiritual care, and sacramental care. They are leaders of special projects within the hospital and provide assistance to parishes as requested to educate about Anglican spiritual care in the health care setting. Chaplains provide care to patients, their families, visitors, hospital staff and clergy.

The Training:
The chaplains of our Diocese have their Masters of Divinity degree and are ordained clergy. They are members of IPT and the Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education. They have each completed the residency training program and are in process of certification as Specialists through these organizations. This is a nationally recognized standard for professional education for Chaplains.

The Context:
The Chaplains of the Diocese are addressing changing health care needs within the Anglican Community. The need for Spiritual Care is increasing inside and outside the hospital because the population is aging. By 2015, there will be more Canadians over the age of 65 years than under 15 years old. As a result, the majority of our population will experience more illness and spiritual and religious care needs concerning the latter years and end of life. In Canada, two thirds of all new cancer cases are diagnosed in people over 60 years old. This means Anglicans will experience more hospital admissions and on-going care in the community setting.

The People:
There are over 150 Anglicans registered in the Halifax hospitals served by Anglican Chaplains each day. There are many patients who are not listed as Anglican but who request and benefit from spiritual care. The Chaplains build bridges between this particular group of people and parishes for continued care after discharge. Without an encounter with an Anglican Chaplain, these people might miss the opportunity to be involved in the life of the church and receive care and belonging in the context of a parish.

The Work:
An Anglican Health Care Chaplain receives an entirely new “parish” every 6 months, where each member has someone in the hospital, and the situation is typically critical. Working in a context of crisis is the new normal. Anglican Chaplains bring a presence of calm in the midst of a storm and provide skilled and compassionate care in the following areas:Spiritual and Religious assessment and Care Planning; Facilitation of Life Review; Prayer; Holy Communion; Sacrament of the Sick and Anointing; Referral to parishes for aftercare; Representation and advocacy on the Multidisciplinary Care Team; Spiritual Direction; Pastoral Counselling; Grief work; Accompaniment through the dying process; and Funeral Planning.

The Diocesan Mission and Vision:
Anglican Health Care Chaplains are front and centre in the public health sphere where community clergy have no access to patients who are not members of their own congregation. Health Care Chaplains meet with those Anglicans who are not practicing and in so caring for them, offer a re-connection with the Anglican community should they want it. When a person requests this, they most often want to have continued religious and spiritual conversation, and prayer with a professional minister, or pastoral care giver. Chaplains encounter people in their most marginalized and displaced moments. They welcome seekers and respond to the needs of all who ask for their help. They offer care out of an Anglican context of faith, tradition & spirituality. They offer their skills and experience to the Diocese and the parishes whenever possible.

Chaplaincy and Parishes:
The Health Care Chaplains of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island could not do their work without strong parishes who not only fund the Health Care Chaplains through their allotment payments to the Diocese but, who receive and continue to care for their members after a health care admission. The Anglican Chaplain provide ministry on behalf of all the Anglicans of the Diocese. This is our shared ministry in action! On behalf of so many grateful patients, families and staff, and from each Chaplain, thank you for your continued support and interest in this essential ministry.
For more information, please refer to the Diocesan webpage under “contacts” > “chaplains”:
http://www.nspeidiocese.ca/contacts/chaplains.htm

Campus Ministry

The Diocese has supported campus ministry for half a century and for this is respected by our National Church.
We support ministries on six campuses: Dal/Kings, MSVU, UPEI, Acadia, St. FX, and UCCB. Dal/Kings is the full time chaplaincy. MSVU and UPEI are ecumenical chaplaincies, and Acadia, St. FX and UCCB are parish based ministries.

Campus ministry is about worship, pastoral counselling and programming. A special emphasis is put on social justice and ethics.
In the Canadian Armed Forces, chaplains provide spiritual and moral support, sacraments, counselling and guidance for every serving member.

Chaplains have accompanied our sailors, soldiers and air personnel on every major military deployment in Canadian history from the North West Rebellion to all of our United Nations Peacekeeping Deployments. At present there are some 25 Anglican military chaplains as well as many more Anglican priests who serve as part-time military chaplains.