FIVE new hospital pastoral carers have overcome learning challenges encountered during COVID-19 lockdowns to complete their training and join Centacare Pastoral Ministries in Brisbane.
All five received a statement of attainment in Spiritual and Pastoral Care when they attended a celebration Mass at St Stephen’s Chapel on October 21.
Allen Harvey said completion of the course had been delayed by more than 12 months, but the wait for final accreditation had been well worth it.
“I receive a lot more than I give, to be honest,” the 65 year old said.
As a new member of the Centacare Pastoral Ministries team, Mr Harvey works at the Prince Charles Hospital every Tuesday for about four hours, and he says his role is to “listen, sit there and just be present for people”.
He estimates he has already clocked up many hundreds of bedside hours, sometimes leading patients in an exploration of their own deeper thoughts and feelings.
“Sometimes just the sheer joy of it when somebody has talked about something that’s been on their mind and heart for a long time,” Mr Harvey said.
“The unburdening – that is just so special to be part of that.”
Mr Harvey and his fellow hospital pastoral carers are first group to receive a VET registered qualification now on scope with the Institute of Faith Education in the Brisbane Archdiocese.
Each completed extensive theoretical work and 100 hours supervised and documented practical work in the hospital setting.
When COVID-19 restrictions interrupted face-to-face learning, some of the theoretical parts of the course were transferred to Zoom instruction.
Course content was delivered by Centacare’s Pastoral Ministries director Judy Norris, and Centacare Prisoners Services mental health social worker Cherelle Evans, along with formation in theology and pastoral care from the Institute of Faith Education, and accomplished contributors including Fr John Chalmers.
Centacare Pastoral Ministries provides carers in 11 hospitals across Brisbane, part of a multi-faith effort to provide a vital service to patients, both sick and dying.
“It is clearly an inner call. I believe it is something of the Spirit that calls these people to care for the sick in this way,” Mrs Norris said.
“It’s not a job. It’s not a volunteering role. It is a genuine calling.
“And it’s a call through faith – incredible witness to their faith for the people they are supporting in their sickness, death or situation they are encountering.
“It’s pastoral care taken from the idea of Jesus the Good Shepherd caring for us and loving for us.”
Another of the new hospital pastoral carers, 72-year-old Michele Willmer, said she found her new role “really great, but really challenging”
With a background in family counselling, Mrs Willmer did not want her working experience go to waste, so she completed the training and now fills a pastoral carer role in Caboolture Hospital.
“Every day it’s just so different,” she said.
“You just meet so many people who are just lonely, sometimes they’ve been drug affected, had lots of family issues and… probably lived a very difficult life and you go and listen to them and they love to tell their story.
“I just feel it’s the grace of God to be able to go into their place – that sacred space – and to somehow bring some laughter, some joy, some peace, some prayers and just a listening ear.”
