Pastoral Care & Hospital Chaplaincy Banner

Catholic pastoral care in the Diocese of Broken Bay is the ministry of presence, “being with others”, our patients and their families, friends and carers. We also support hospital staff. We provide designated Priests and lay Pastoral Care Practitioners (PCPs) to seven hospitals within the Diocese.

Being in hospital is a unique experience, whether you are a patient or a visitor. It may be a time of anxiety, fear and uncertainty. You may find yourself in a state of transition and start to think more deeply about your life and what is important to you. Whatever situation you find yourself in, sharing your story and feeling listened to with compassion and respect can help ease the burden of illness, help you cope with a sometimes confronting situation and provide a glimpse of new possibilities. Our team provide spiritual and emotional support at significant times of transition, illness, grief or loss. This may include:

  • Building relationships
  • Listening to life stories without judgement
  • Articulating empathy and respect
  • Nourishing, sustaining and guiding especially in times of grief and trauma
  • Enlivening the spirit
  • Engaging a Catholic Priest
  • Providing ritual, prayer and sacraments when requested.

New energy surges into a person’s life when someone is truly listening to them ...

Gosford Hospital  

Contact: Peter Brown

0418 616 602

Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital

Contact: Anna Pawlak-Simpson

0417 135 159

Mona Vale Hospital

Contact: Denis O’Brien

0439 009 932

Northern Beaches Hospital

Contact: Denis O’Brien

0439 009 932

Royal North Shore Hospital

Contact: Louise Smith

0427 662 513

Sydney Adventist Hospital 

Contact: Anna Pawlak-Simpson

0417 135 159

Wyong Hospital

Contact: Br John Verhoeven

0427 255 804

Frequently Asked Questions

What is hospital chaplaincy and pastoral care?

Holistic or multidisciplinary health care means taking care of the whole person, which includes our spiritual wellbeing. Spiritual wellbeing relates to our sense of life meaning and purpose. This often includes our beliefs, values and connection with our faith community through religious practices/rituals. Hospital chaplaincy and pastoral care provides this connection.

Who provides hospital chaplaincy and pastoral care?

CatholicCare’s Hospital Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care Team provides five lay Pastoral Care Practitioners (PCPs) to seven hospitals within the Diocese of Broken Bay including Gosford, Wyong, Royal North Shore, Northern Beaches and Mona Vale, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai and Sydney Adventist Hospitals. We also have an Administrator for Catholic Volunteer Eucharistic Ministry at Royal North Shore Hospital. Our PCPs work alongside, and complement the ministry of, our Priests and volunteer Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion from local Catholic Parishes who provide sacramental support at each hospital.

What might a visit with a Pastoral Care Practitioner look like?

Our team of PCPs have been commissioned with the gift of time to offer people in hospital. Catholic Pastoral Care in the Diocese of Broken Bay is the ministry of presence, “being with others”, our patients, families/friends/carers and staff. That often includes building relationships, listening to life stories without judgment, articulating empathy and respect, nourishing, sustaining and guiding, particularly in times of grief and trauma, engaging a Catholic priest, enlivening the spirit and providing Sacraments, ritual and prayer when requested.

How do I contact a Pastoral Care Practitioner?

Our PCP’s names, mobile phone numbers and hospitals are listed above and you can call them directly if you or your loved one is in need of pastoral support while in one of the hospitals in which we minister. Alternatively, you can contact your local Parish Office and ask them to make a referral on your behalf to our PCPs, Priests or volunteer Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.

Do I need to be Catholic to use this service?

Every person has the right to receive hospital chaplaincy and pastoral care support when in hospital, whether or not they have a religious affiliation or faith community. Whilst our CatholicCare PCPs mostly attend to the pastoral needs of those who identify themselves as Catholics, they will also attend to the pastoral needs of others and, if necessary, refer a person on to a representative of their own faith through the pastoral services offered by each hospital’s chaplaincy department.

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