Amid a health-care system 'in crisis', chaplains seek more support, recognition from church : Natoinal gathering spurs motions to give spiritual care official ministry status
The second national gathering of Anglican health care spiritual care professionals met from 11-14 October 2022 in Mississauga Ontario attended by 18 chaplains. The first Anglican health-care chaplains' national gathering took place in 2019. Chris Salstrom who attended both gatherings noted "Many of the church's health-care chaplains say they're exhausted by the pandemic and have felt unsupported -- but some hope this could change with recognition of their network as an official ministry of the church. 'Who do the healers go to when they need healing ?'", she asked. "In a report she presented to the gathering Salstrom described a chronic understaffing situation across Canada, even before the pandemic, that has led many spiritual health practitioners to retire, change jobs or leave the profession entirely". "The Rev. Eileen Scully, director of Faith, Worship and Ministry (FWM) for the Anglican Church of Canada, and organizer of the gathering, said that as of 2022, the health-care chaplains' group had a membership of 70". "At the gathering, chaplains worshipped together and shared what they had learned during the pandemic about grief and pastoral presence. Sarah George works nights shifts as a spiritual care professional at St. Michael's and Sunnybrook hospitals in Toronto. Both are part-time jobs with closer to 'full-time hours', she said". "Rejoice Anthony, who started work in July [2022] at St. Jude's Anglican Home in Vancouver and also serves as on-call staff for Vancouver General Hospital's pastoral care team, works with elders suffering from dementia and their families. She says she finds morning prayer essential. Earlier this year, to process being the last person a dying patient ever saw shortly after their introduction, she also began what she calls 'pilgrim walking'". "The Rev. Carolyn Herold, who works part-time as a parish priest at St. Laurence Anglican Church in Calgary and part-time as a chaplain for Alberta Health Services, said chaplains continue to find great fulfillment in their work despite the difficult times facing health care in Canada. ,,, 'We get the privilege of seeing people as they truly are at their most vulnerable point in their life and seeing God moving in them in whatever way that is. That is such an incredible privilege'".
Article includes photograph with all 18 attendees identified by name.
Bishop Woolsey reported that the Diocese of Athabasca had recently had a Conference on the laying-on-of-hands and anointing with oil.
There is no statement from the House of Bishops regarding the anointing of the sick with oil by lay people. The House was reminded that, in his paper, Bishop Henry Hill stated that any Bishop can authorize anyone to anoint, but it is usually assigned to clergy only. There are no diocesan policies, but some Bishops have given special permission.
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That the House of Bishops affirm the rubric on page 555 of the Book of Alternative Services as constituting the general guidelines for unction.
The rubric reads: "The oil for the anointing of the sick is to be used only by clergy and those lay persons who have received authorization by the diocesan bishop." [CARRIED #2-11-86]
The Anglican Church of Canada's national newspaper says the church's hierarchy must decisively disassociate itself from unusual faith healing practices which border on exorcism.
The Canadian Churchman, in an editorial to be published this week, is critical of diocesan officials for what it calls their inaction in handling unusual faith healing practices at St. Matthias Church in downtown Toronto.
It is the responsibility of the church to speak now with a unified voice so that such practices are never again allowed to corrupt the faith and morals of anyone, the editorial says.
It says that for more than two years officials of the Toronto diocese have been aware "all was not well" in the parish. It says church officials and a number of Canadian clergy knew of the unusual practices and meetings held in the church and elsewhere in Toronto.
On October 4, a coroner's jury found Rev. Canon G. Moore Smith, rector of St. Matthias, and his wife, negligent for not summoning aid for their ward, Miss Katherine Globe. The 18-year old girl died in the St. Matthias' rectory of meningitis resulting from a ruptured brain abscess.
Ontario's supervising coroner, Dr. H.B. Cotnam, called the inquest August 31 after receiving reports that a group within St. Matthias practiced exorcism of devils by prayer. Canon Smith, his wife and an assistant parish priest, Rev. Douglas Tisdall, denied the group exorcised evil spirits.
The editorial says that other than "friendly chats" with Smith, prior to Miss Globe's death, Toronto's clergy did nothing to force the issue.
"All dioceses in Canada have archdeacons and rural deans who are supposed to keep a watch on parishes and clergy in their designated areas. We wonder how often these reverend gentlemen check the parishes and how often they meet to discuss problems with their bishops," it states.
The editorial also asked the church to make public the investigation into faith healing in the diocese so that people may know the church is not engaged in trying to "sweep an unhappy situation under the carpet."
The church must be at least as honest as the secular inquest hearing which investigated Miss Globe's death in public, it says.
"The church must air its mistakes and incompetence and heresies so that all may know it seeks to preserve the truth," the editorial concludes.
Rt. Rev. George Snell, Bishop of Toronto, on October 27 named a seven-man commission to investigate the whole area of the healing ministry in Toronto diocese.
Chairman of the commission is Rev. Maurice Flint, a doctor of pastoral psychology, and lecturer at Wycliffe College. He is also director of chaplaincy services for the Ontario Department of Reform Institutions.
"'Anglican healing has nothing to do with placing the emphasis on a cure', explains Shelley Tidy, pastoral care associate at St. Paul's Bloor Street in Toronto, who for the past six years has chaired the Bishop's Committee on Healing in the diocese of Toronto. 'Everything is done in the name of lightening a person's burden by placing it at the foot of the cross', she says". "Anglican healing sacraments include the laying on of hands and anointing with oil, both accompanied by prayer. While performing the laying of hands is restricted to ordained clergy, anointing may be performed by licensed laity under the supervision of a priest". "Every year, Tidy runs a popular fall weekend program at the Convent of the Sisters of Saint John the Divine in Toronto to train lay anointers through lectures, practical training, group discussion and prayer".
Author "is a journalist and parishioner at St. Cuthbert's, Oakville, Ont."
Early in his tenure as rector of St. Stephen's Anglican Church in Saskatoon, Sask., Archdeacon Larry Mitchell "invited people to come forward to the altar for a healing prayer. ... The lineup for healing extended along the altar rail and down the aisle to the back of the church. 'That experience told me this is a ministry the church needs to develop', says Mitchell". Mitchell "became involved with the International Order of St. Luke the Physician (OSL), an ecumenical organization started in 1932 by John Gayner Banks, an Episcopalian priest. Today with more than 7,000 current members, OSL provides missions, conferences, training and resources on Christian healing ministry". Mitchell served as North American director of OSL from 2004 to 2011, the first Canadian to hold that office.
Author "is a journalist and parishioner at St. Cuthbert's, Oakville, Ont."
Brenda Garvey is an honorary lay pastoral assistant at St. Cuthbert's, Oakville, Ontario. She is also multifaith chaplain at Trillium Health Centre in Mississauga, and a licensed lay anointer. "In 2006, Trillium hired Garvey to assist patients with cancer and other terminal illnesses and their families. 'Death is as much a sacred miracle as birth', says Garvey, who notes that when she anoints Anglicans with the same oil with which they've been baptized, 'they feel they have come full circle and been touched by God again'. As Garvey sees it, her job is to help people of different faith, or of no faith, have 'a good death experience'. By offering comfort and meaning, Garvey helps them 'to be present in each precious last moment'."
Author "is a journalist and parishioner at St. Cuthbert's, Oakville, Ont."
"Pat Lithgoe, a parishioner of St. Christopher's, Burlington [Ont.], trained as a nurse before learning Therapeutic Touch (TT) , a 'contemporary interpretation of several ancient healing practices; that promotes the natural healing process". "Five years ago, a group [trained in TT] obtained approval from their rector, the Ven. Dr. Steve Hopkins, to offer therapeutic touch before Sunday morning services in a quiet room removed from the sanctuary. 'People who receive it report feeling better, more whole and more relaxed, even in the midst of illness,' says Hopkins. 'I'm happy to walk this journey and explore how it fits within our ministry overall'."
Author "is a journalist and parishioner at St. Cuthbert's, Oakville, Ont."
"Last October [2012], the Rev. Canon Joseph Asselin, rector of St. Cuthbert's, Oakville, Ont., observed St. Luke the Physician's Day by inviting Bishop Michael Bird of the diocese of Niagara to perform a laying on of hands at the altar rail after communion. At first, some in the congregation balked. Some even boycotted the service. 'So we went out of our way to make it non-threatening and ordinary, the way it should be', explains Asselin. He estimates that 70 per cent of the people present at the service opted for healing. 'It speaks to a need. Now that the controversy has died down and we have established trust, we plan on doing it more regularly', Asselin says". Includes colour photo. [Text of entire article.]
Author "is a journalist and parishioner at St. Cuthbert's, Oakville, Ont."