Fr Talipope Vaifale, Elaine Harvey and Marcelles Amiatu were commissioned by Monsignor Bernard Kiely, vicar general of the Catholic diocese of Auckland.

The event was well attended by colleagues who took part in the para-liturgy by handing those being commissioned the symbols of their office.

Interchurch Council for Hospital Chaplaincy (ICHC) Regional Chaplain Rev Julian Perkins read a Gospel passage.

Sr Alei Leilua and Fr Christopher Brady were farewelled. They had served for 5 and for 10 years respectively.

Commending the dedication of the assembled chaplains, Kiely said it seemed to him that running shoes were the necessary footwear for hard-working chaplains.

Even in a hospital setting, they travel great distances to bring comfort and reassurance.

In 1996, the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference became a foundation signatory of the Trust that established the ICHC.

At its heart, ICHC is an ecumenical association of major Christian churches who work in collaboration to minister to patients and their families who, because of illness, are required to stay in hospital.

ICHC negotiates with the Ministry of Health on behalf of all member churches and appoints and manages all non-Catholic hospital chaplains.

Catholic appointments are made by each Diocese in collaboration with ICHC.

There is a small number of priests around the country who are permanently assigned to a major hospital; they also have parish duties to fulfill.

All other Diocesan priests are committed to providing 24/7 support for Catholic patients who are in imminent danger of dying.

Most Catholic hospital chaplains are lay-people who have been trained and commissioned by their Bishop to spend time with Catholic patients and their families and pray familiar prayers.

They work in close collaboration with either a designated priest chaplain or a local parish to ensure access to Holy Communion and, where necessary, other Sacraments of the Church.

Catholic lay chaplains are also required to be available for ministry to all patients in the hospital and enjoy a constructive relationship with their non-Catholic colleagues.

"If you or a family member are to be in hospital and would like to be visited by a chaplain, then it is often easier to advise the parish office in advance rather than rely on the hospital notification which is often complicated by Privacy Act considerations," says senior Catholic hospital chaplain Tony Lenton.

He said "People may think that some sacraments of the Church, especially Anointing of the Sick, are reserved for the dying but in fact, they are available to all who wish to prepare spiritually and emotionally for what will be a worrying time. Again, discussion with your parish office is advised."

To contact a hospital Chaplain or to get further information visit: https://www.catholic.org.nz/find-us/chaplancies/#section_72

Source

• Supplied: Tony Lenton

NZ Faith Community Nursing National Liaison Coordinator, Diane Webster, says the conference is a chance for nurses from different Christian backgrounds to come together in support of one another and to help the ministry grow in New Zealand.

"Across all denominations there is a common belief that prayer, healing and support go together. This conference has been designed to give nurses the confidence to stand with their church leadership and help support those who are unwell in their congregation through practical support and advice, as well as through prayer and believing for healing."

The organisation, which started more than a decade ago and links church leadership with the practical skills of nursing, provides support and education for people across Christian faith communities. Continue reading

'Mum's dying.'

'Yes.'

We sat in silence for a bit.

'I've lost my faith.'

'Uh huh.'

'When my friend died.'

'Mm.'

We held hands and Mum's too, wondering in our own ways, about God and faith and people dying and what the universe meant, if anything.

As we fell silent I thought about all the people I had sat beside as life ebbed away and heard of faith being lost as though it was something material that could be found, discovered, or held before, judging by the stories I hear, inevitably lost.

Perhaps, I mused, faith is like the keys that I lose about ten times a day. They're always at the bottom of my bag. It's just that they're so much a part of my life that I can never quite recognise them in the jumble of my chaotic world.

'Could you do a prayer?' she asked.

I must have looked a bit quizzical.

She looked a bit coy.

'Mum stayed religious.'

'I'm not all that flash at praying myself.'

She laughed, 'but aren't you meant to be the chaplain?'

'Yeah, well, we could give it a go, you with your lost faith and me with my shortcomings.' She grinned.

We gave thanks for her Mum's life well lived. For the good times and the downright awful bits. For both pain and sorrow. Then we were still. That's all it was. No God involved, no pleas, no bargaining, just gratitude and acknowledgement of what is.

Someone else came into the room and the moment was over. I got up to go but turned back. 'Someone, I forget who, once said that faith is about courage. But the most important bit about that is to say that you've got heaps of it; faith, courage, whatever, to sit here with your mum whilst she dies.'

On the face of it, my offering into this situation was not particularly religious or Christian. It suited the situation of the person involved who would likely fit the None category, (atheists, agnostics, people who believe nothing in particular).

An experienced Humanist chaplain could have done the job as well as me, however in New Zealand, even although only 8-12% of Kiwis go to church, leaving a staggering 88% outside mainstream religion, the government continues to contract with a consortium of Christian churches to provide Christian hospital chaplaincy. A Humanist chaplain would not be employed.

Yet times have already changed and Kiwis have found new ways to express spirituality outside of the mainstream. As Dr Richard Egan from the University of Otago says:

'Spirituality means different things to different people. It may include (a search for) one's ultimate beliefs and values; a sense of meaning and a purpose in life; a sense of connectedness; identity and awareness; and for some people, religion. It may be understood at an individual or population level.'

Christianity has a part to play in that process of shared development, as do all religious, philosophical and wisdom traditions. We can draw from our rich tradition, a history of service and significant financial commitment to work with others to build a creative and compassionate spiritual healthcare service that meets the needs of Kiwis who are spiritually on the move.

Some may find this disturbing. I find it exciting to be part of what will inevitably be an enriching and stimulating challenge, for all of us. What do you think?

• Sande Ramage in Spirited Crone

Sande Ramage is an Anglican priest and blogger.

"Making meaning is seen as one of the important elements of spirituality," writes Sande Ramage, which is not a problem at all for patients who recover, but finding meaning when there seems to be no cure "can leave patients and healthcare professionals alike feeling helpless".

In order to cope with helplessness it's possible to adopt a solely scientific approach to suffering, an approach that is challenged in a book called Time to Care, by Dr Robin Youngson. He says that beyond what medicine offers, 'the most profound healing comes from a bond of shared humanity.'

• Read Sande Ramage's article
• Image: UAB Pastoral Care

Sande Ramage is an Anglican priest and blogger