communion in hospital?

mayobumblebee

My name is URL wrote: »

They won't approach you randomly and ask you to pray. When you're admitted to hospital you're asked what your religion is and if you'd like to be visited by the Chaplain... so contain your faux-outrage at the idea that people are coerced against their will into saying the Hail Mary.

i was not admitted to hospital i was in on a day appointment so in for 4 hours max during this time i was sitting in a waiting room and was approached by a complete stranger who said hello i am the chaplin, then he asked why i was in, had i been up before and would i like him to say a prayer it was a bit hard telling him i didn't want to discuss why i was here to a stranger i felt quite rude. i then thanked him and told him i would prefer not to have a prayer said. he did not ask straight away which i actually would have much preferred over been asked personal details first.

i had no idea what a chaplin was so its only when he offered a prayer that i figured it out

kneemos

mayobumblebee wrote: »

i was not admitted to hospital i was in on a day appointment so in for 4 hours max during this time i was sitting in a waiting room and was approached by a complete stranger who said hello i am the chaplin, then he asked why i was in, had i been up before and would i like him to say a prayer it was a bit hard telling him i didn't want to discuss why i was here to a stranger i felt quite rude. i then thanked him and told him i would prefer not to have a prayer said. he did not ask straight away which i actually would have much preferred over been asked personal details first.

i had no idea what a chaplin was so its only when he offered a prayer that i figured it out

I assume he's asking for details so he can say a prayer for said illness or maybe it's just a conversation starter.

My name is URL

mayobumblebee wrote: »

i was not admitted to hospital i was in on a day appointment so in for 4 hours max during this time i was sitting in a waiting room and was approached by a complete stranger who said hello i am the chaplin, then he asked why i was in, had i been up before and would i like him to say a prayer it was a bit hard telling him i didn't want to discuss why i was here to a stranger i felt quite rude. i then thanked him and told him i would prefer not to have a prayer said. he did not ask straight away which i actually would have much preferred over been asked personal details first.

i had no idea what a chaplin was so its only when he offered a prayer that i figured it out

Fair enough. I've worked in different hospitals at certain times over the years and have never seen or heard about that happening before. It definitely shouldn't be happening and you should probably have mentioned it to an administrator if you felt offended or annoyed about it.

gctest50

My name is URL wrote: »

They won't approach you randomly and ask you to pray. .

can happen:
- stuff in eyes etc so told to lie down there, don't move pick a spot on the ceiling and they'd be back soon - happy days
- took a while to zone out from the noises etc
- hear this noise, can't make it out - too indistinct and repetitive to be medical stuff

- decide since I'm hearing things that "have no business being in current surroundings"
either:
a) I'm going b@t**** insane
b) it's something brain related

either way I should tell one of the HCPs when i see one of them

It gets a bit louder, now I can make out 'tis praying, the looper responsible has moved into third gear and is giving it welly now.

I sit up like a little robot and politely inquire wtf are they at.
The response was :" You're awake, you're awake "
Mine was : "Yes, i've been awake now for 22 hours, the novelty is wearing off "

jaffacakesyum

My name is URL wrote: »

They won't approach you randomly and ask you to pray. When you're admitted to hospital you're asked what your religion is and if you'd like to be visited by the Chaplain... so contain your faux-outrage at the idea that people are coerced against their will into saying the Hail Mary.

HondaSami wrote: »

I thought everyone is asked on admission what their religion is, why do you keep on about Muslims's?

It is in their files, yes, which religion they are. My point is (and again I could be wrong, seeing as what My name is URL has stated above), that ideally I think it would be appropriate to ask on admission, rather than have somebody from the Church go around to each patient on a ward, not knowing their religion or status.

Again, I was under the impression on par from the OP's experience but maybe it's different in different hospitals.

And I don't know what you mean, keep going on about Muslims

MagicMarker

My name is URL wrote: »

They won't approach you randomly and ask you to pray. When you're admitted to hospital you're asked what your religion is and if you'd like to be visited by the Chaplain... so contain your faux-outrage at the idea that people are coerced against their will into saying the Hail Mary.

Who said anything about people being coerced into saying prayers?

Anyhow, seems you need to get your facts straight.

mayobumblebee wrote: »

i was not admitted to hospital i was in on a day appointment so in for 4 hours max during this time i was sitting in a waiting room and was approached by a complete stranger who said hello i am the chaplin, then he asked why i was in, had i been up before and would i like him to say a prayer it was a bit hard telling him i didn't want to discuss why i was here to a stranger i felt quite rude. i then thanked him and told him i would prefer not to have a prayer said. he did not ask straight away which i actually would have much preferred over been asked personal details first.

i had no idea what a chaplin was so its only when he offered a prayer that i figured it out

HondaSami

jaffacakesyum wrote: »

It is in their files, yes, which religion they are. My point is (and again I could be wrong, seeing as what My name is URL has stated above), that ideally I think it would be appropriate to ask on admission, rather than have somebody from the Church go around to each patient on a ward, not knowing their religion or status.

Again, I was under the impression on par from the OP's experience but maybe it's different in different hospitals.

And I don't know what you mean, keep going on about Muslims

Are you suggesting it should be written over the bed of every patient what their religion is? The priest cannot read a patients chart/file.
I have never seen a priest go round to patients tbh and i have been in hospitals a fair bit in the last few years.

Pretzill

I've had experience of this a few times - first time I woke up to a rather dour looking man in a dress standing over my bed I thought I was getting the last rites! When I realised I wasn't I just said quite narkily I'm not religious - when he left the other ladies in the ward said I was brave for refusing his blessing - that was abt 15 years ago nowadays they are less intrusive a simple no thanks is no harm

mayobumblebee

My name is URL wrote: »

Fair enough. I've worked in different hospitals at certain times over the years and have never seen or heard about that happening before. It definitely shouldn't be happening and you should probably have mentioned it to an administrator if you felt offended or annoyed about it.

thank you, i was not offended at all i just thought it odd i always assumed that it was a service for patients who are in a ward in the hospital not day only appointments in the outpatients

jaffacakesyum

HondaSami wrote: »

Are you suggesting it should be written over the bed of every patient what their religion is? The priest cannot read a patients chart/file.
I have never seen a priest go round to patients tbh and i have been in hospitals a fair bit in the last few years.

No of course they shouldn't read the medical chart. I've already said there are alternative options but that I wouldn't necessarily suggest them because it would need added staff work and even as small amount of added work is significant to the health systems.

In hospitals there are loads of systems in place to communicate needs of the patient, usually placards are posted above the bed. For example, to do with dietry needs, if they are at risk of falls, if they are dying etc. There could be a similar system for religious reasons but again, it would mean added work of asking patients if they would like to be seen by a religious leader or not and putting up a placard. The other reasons for communication (eg risk of falls) are of course more important. But that is one option.

I've worked in several hospitals and always seem them. They're not priests, it's actually usually women in my experience, I don't know what you'd call them!! Nuns I suppose, but they weren't wearing their usual gear :pac:

kneemos

mayobumblebee wrote: »

thank you, i was not offended at all i just thought it odd i always assumed that it was a service for patients who are in a ward in the hospital not day only appointments in the outpatients

Was it just a dogooder type offering to say a prayer for people?

Rasheed

In the bigger Dublin hospitals that I've worked in there were chaplains from both Catholic and COI on the premises most of the time. They would chat to people if they wanted to chat, regardless of religion and that was that. There was also a pray room for Muslims in nearly every hospital I've been in but they're usually for staff only.

In the smaller regional hospitals, there was always a priest 'on call' and usually a nun or two tipping around. To be honest, some of them were dotes and some were just nosy fûckers that you'd have to shoo away.

A patients religion used to be put over the bed along with their name. This no longer happens AFAIK. The parish priests also used to come in asking who was in from their parish, they're not told any more. Funny how things change and I'm not that many years nursing either.

pragmatic1

Prodigious wrote: »

So what you're asking is if people having a problem with the sick being comforted?

Maybe it doesn't comfort all people that are sick. Maybe things like that freak some people out.

mayobumblebee

kneemos wrote: »

Was it just a dogooder type offering to say a prayer for people?

I have no idea he said "im the chaplin" and he had a h.s.e badge i didn't get a chance to read what it said. he was in normal clothing, he asked some personal questions regarding why you were there and then offered to say a prayer with you. he gave no name or never mentioned if he worked for the hospital or was just doing it off his own steam.

Feathers

pragmatic1 wrote: »

Maybe it doesn't comfort all people that are sick. Maybe things like that freak some people out.

Someone saying 'do you want me to say a prayer for you?'. It's hardly forceably converting them. Maybe the people who are freaked out at a simple question should have a placard above their beds.

nucker

mayobumblebee wrote: »

Was in hospital today, had an appointment but while waiting a man wearing a
h.s.e badge and in normal clothes walked around the waiting room asking everyone why they were in and then offered to say a prayer for them. i have heard of patients also receiving communion and you can also request a priest.

do they only cater to the catholic religion ?
anyone find this odd besides me?
is this just some hospitals i am a bit surprised to be honest they say that the religion has nothing to do with state run bodies but this didnt seem the case today

I would think that is down to the hospital, but I'm sure that most hospitals cater for all religions, they do have a list of different religions and their contact number

Rasheed

mayobumblebee wrote: »

I have no idea he said "im the chaplin" and he had a h.s.e badge i didn't get a chance to read what it said. he was in normal clothing, he asked some personal questions regarding why you were there and then offered to say a prayer with you. he gave no name or never mentioned if he worked for the hospital or was just doing it off his own steam.

He probably meant well but some chaplains can be very annoying and pushy. Then you also get the 'volunteers' that come in under the pretence of patient comfort but basically come for news. I see that a good bit of that in the local hospital, especially the long stay wards.

I have to say though, and this is coming from when I was a patient, talking to someone outside your friends and family can be just what you need, religion aside.

pragmatic1

Feathers wrote: »

Someone saying 'do you want me to say a prayer for you?'. It's hardly forceably converting them. Maybe the people who are freaked out at a simple question should have a placard above their beds.

Well that depends on the situation. My father was close to death a few years back and my mother asked a priest to go over to him and pray. That didn't exactly lift his mood.

I was in a very bad way myself last year, in a room full of people with serious head injuries. Holy Joe's coming in praying didn't do much for us either. The sexy wee Filipino nurse with a smile on here face was way more comforting.

martinedwards

Up here in the heathen North the hospital Chaplians nearly all wear the collar so that they stand out and can be spotted as a cleric.

Interestingly, it seems that the RC church operate on a "Sean's in Hospital 50 miles from home so the local priest (or chaplian) will drop in on him" the protestant folk are much more likely to get a visit from thier OWN priest. I know our Rector regularly visits in Belfast, Antrim and occasionally All the way up to Coleraine which is a 3 hour round trip before you even get to see the poor punter.

and as to Holy Communion, every CofI priest has a travelling HC set and will administer HC at the bedside at the patients request.

looksee

Some 30-odd years ago the priest and a couple of acolytes would come round with communion every day. The nurses would shoo everyone into bed, sitting up if possible, with very tidy bedclothes. Then there would be a kind of minor mass affair going on while the priest came round. I was vaguely miffed that I had to be organised in this manner when I was not one of their lot, but I didn't have the nerve to make a fuss about it. Not that it would have made any difference if I had.

Recently I have often seen a lay server come round the wards offering communion, but they just kind of catch your eye and look enquiring, and you can just shake your head. I have no problem with that.

They are also much more willing to accept 'no religion' at reception now, whereas I can remember one clerk asking me 'Catholic?' and when I said no, she said 'oh well I'll put C of I'.

I think if I were approached by a randomer in Casualty and asked what was wrong with me I would be inclined to tell them to get lost, no matter how well intentioned. If they don't need to know what the Mass is for when you buy a mass card, they certainly don't need to know to say a prayer.

Sergeant

As the life courses from my body, I'll be glad to know that religious types won't visit me as a result of having a massive poster of Richard Dawkins behind my bed.

I'll shít myself and draw my last breath in comfort.

evolving_doors

MagicMarker wrote: »

Who says they're being comforted?

A randomer approaching me in hospital asking me why I'm there and if I want to say a prayer is nothing but an annoyance.

Your not the gal who told the chugger to f**k off on his first day by any chance ? Similar scenarios though you have to admit.

Feathers

pragmatic1 wrote: »

Well that depends on the situation. My father was close to death a few years back and my mother asked a priest to go over to him and pray. That didn't exactly lift his mood.

I was in a very bad way myself last year, in a room full of people with serious head injuries. Holy Joe's coming in praying didn't do much for us either. The sexy wee Filipino nurse with a smile on here face was way more comforting.

Surely that's down to your mother so, if she asked the priest to go over?

All I'm saying is that asking people isn't the same as pushing religion on them - If people are "freaked out" at getting asked though it sounds like they are overly sensitive.

We can go like France & banish religion from all public places but I think that's overkill - there are a lot of people who will take comfort from this & if you don't believe in it, I'd have thought saying "no thanks" isn't too much of an inconvenience (obviously if they were constantly pestering you it would be a different story).

discus

Sergeant wrote: »

As the life courses from my body, I'll be glad to know that religious types won't visit me as a result of having a massive poster of Richard Dawkins behind my bed.

"For every over-zealous, in your face, pontificating religious arsehole you meet, there is an over-zealous, in your face, pontificating Richard Dawkins fan"

-Discus, 2013

Sergeant

discus wrote: »

"For every over-zealous, in your face, pontificating religious arsehole you meet, there is an over-zealous, in your face, pontificating Richard Dawkins fan"

-Discus, 2013

"And they did not understand my Genius"

The Book of Dawkins.

pragmatic1

Feathers wrote: »

Surely that's down to your mother so, if she asked the priest to go over?

All I'm saying is that asking people isn't the same as pushing religion on them - If people are "freaked out" at getting asked though it sounds like they are overly sensitive.

We can go like France & banish religion from all public places but I think that's overkill - there are a lot of people who will take comfort from this & if you don't believe in it, I'd have thought saying "no thanks" isn't too much of an inconvenience (obviously if they were constantly pestering you it would be a different story).

Again when you're in a very serious situation physically, not everyone wants to hear that. Sometimes there's enough gloomy **** without people coming in talking about the afterlife.

pragmatic1

discus wrote: »

"For every over-zealous, in your face, pontificating religious arsehole you meet, there is an over-zealous, in your face, pontificating Richard Dawkins fan"

-Discus, 2013

Not nearly enough to counteract the religious zealots. I wish Christopher Hitchens was cloned before he died.

Feathers

pragmatic1 wrote: »

Again when you're in a very serious situation physically, not everyone wants to hear that. Sometimes there's enough gloomy **** without people coming in talking about the afterlife.

You're obviously talking about something completely different so - the OP was discussing people offering to say a prayer for/with someone (like religious people will do for any ailment, exams, stresses etc that a person has).

If you're talking about the level of death bed conversions or that, I agree it's intrusive & can see why people might be freaked out. Someone saying 'will I say a prayer for you?' not so much. Especially if you don't believe in it.

Ghost Buster

jaffacakesyum wrote: »

Yeah I find it odd. I think a service should certainly be allowed for, and anyone who wishes to receive communion should certainly be accommodated. It's great that a service exists. But I think it's a bit inappropriate because my impression is that the person goes around asking every patient in the room without knowing their religious status. I know this is a Catholic country, but not everyone is Catholic and not everyone is even religious.

It isnt a Catholic country. It is a country with Catholicism being the majority religion as declared in the census. Big differance
No issue with communion etc in hospitals btw ...BUTseing as they ask
ones religion on admission couldnt the guy take a print out of the bed plan and just bug the catholics ?

Ghost Buster

Odysseus wrote: »

How is the Chaplin to know what religion a person is without asking?

AFAIK all hospitals have a RC chaplin, but there is a facility to get a representative of all the religions inif a patient requests it.

However, no staff member would be able to comment on a patients religious status as far as I understand it inanyway.

Because they ask on adkission and a bed plan with all patient info is available