Pastoral care blessings are two way

November 13, 2025

For Pastoral Care Practitioner, Denis the most wonderful part of working in Hospital Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care has been the realisation that blessings are both given and received.

Denis recalls a profound experience of working with an elderly gentleman of Asian heritage earlier this year. The gentleman, who Denis refers to as the ‘Fisherman’ originated from a seaside village, where fishing was a critical survival skill and later, a source of joy. Indeed, the connection that formed between Denis and the Fisherman enriched and blessed them both.

“I first met the Fisherman when a doctor referred him to me as he was agitated and the medical supports were not alleviating his concerns,” Denis says. “He became a palliative patient when his condition deteriorated quite quickly and there had to be hospital care for him, which he was not expecting. He was Catholic so I was asked by his doctor if I might meet with him to see if a pastoral care visit might assist.”

Denis discovered that the Fisherman was concerned about one thing that he had yet to achieve. Ever since arriving in Australia as a young boy, the Fisherman had been sending money to his brother and his family who were still living in the poor village for all these years. With a hospital stay longer than he had expected, the Fisherman had not been able to honour this important commitment to his brother. “He couldn’t think of much else, hence his rising anxiety,” Denis explains.

With the Fisherman’s permission, Denis spoke with the hospital’s allied health social work team, and they brainstormed solutions that would enable the Fisherman to keep that financial commitment to his brother. When a solution was found, Denis describes a peace and calm that came over the patient. “It was wonderful to see,” Denis says. “A ‘blessing’ he called it.”

The blessing became two way when Denis had the privilege of visiting him several times a week until he decided he was well prepared for his death.

“Over the weeks he generously shared his story as a young boy in the seaside village,” Denis recalls.

“The story came when I asked where he went to school. He told me he didn’t go to school. It was a poor village and he spent his days finding, growing or catching food. He became very good at fishing which supported his family. He said he and his brother were sadly orphaned at a young age. They were basically homeless and had to fend for themselves, with occasional visits to a Catholic orphanage. As a pre-teen he got a job making shoes in a factory. He felt that was a blessing as his life could have easily gone in another direction.”

The Fisherman went on to explain how one day some Australian business people visited his factory to buy products and machinery to set up a shoe factory in Australia. They were impressed by his skills, especially as he was so young. After a few years, they asked if he wanted to come to Australia to work in their factory. The Fisherman knew in his heart it was a really great opportunity, even though he would miss his brother very much. It was then that the young man decided he could help his brother from Australia.

The journey was arranged, and the business owners became his immigration sponsors. The Fisherman was in his late teens when he arrived. Denis recalls the special moment when he asked where the factory was located, “He told me it was in a country town in NSW and told me the name. It happened to be my home town. I knew of the factory and its location in town.”

Denis describes being amazed at the shared experience and the new connection they now had. “I naturally asked about fishing in the nearby rivers and dams,” Denis says. “He was animated about fishing for rainbow trout. Again, fishing helped him survive on a budget to have savings to send to his brother.”

The Fisherman’s story of coming to the Northern Beaches unfolded over weeks as he spoke of his fishing on the Narrabeen Lakes. “He told me the best spot,” Denis recalls. “He told me about the bait he uses, which is failsafe and successful on every fishing outing. He also told me about his very regular meal of fish soup, that he missed while in hospital. A Catholic Pastoral Care volunteer brought him fish soup from the local mall a few times.

We talked about the constant challenge of keeping our waterways and oceans clean as we can eat for free if we can fish, but not if we destroy the resource across the globe. He said to always think of people in poor villages who depend on their waterways to keep them alive.”

The Fisherman always wore a gold chain with a crucifix. When he prayed with Denis, he would hold it against his chest.

The Fisherman reflected on the key influencers of his faith, which included his mother, the Catholic sisters at his orphanage and the prayer they taught him, ‘The Memorare’.   

In the last weeks of his life, the Fisherman was well prepared for his death. The hospital’s dedicated Chaplain Priest had come for the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and Dying and the Fisherman was ready for his final journey to his God. He died in the generous care of the very professional palliative care staff.

Denis’ time with the Fisherman made an imprint on his life and he is deeply grateful for the journey that they shared, “I am a better person for having met the Fisherman who made shoes in my home town.”