Hospital & Healthcare Ministry

Hospital & Healthcare Ministry provides spiritual care for patients and families in various hospitals and healthcare facilities via deanery grants. This model encourages parishes from each region to creatively join together to offer support and healing to Catholics experiencing illness.

Deanery grants

Our ministry provides grants for deaneries to respond to the particular needs of its region. Each deanery structures itself in whichever way works best to ensure a strong Catholic response that provides access to sacraments and a ministry of presence during times of illness, particularly when end-of-life care becomes necessary.

Camillus Ministry at Seattle Children's Hospital on Friday, September 27, 2019 in Seattle. (PHOTO by Stephen Brashear)

Caring for the sick

The Camillus Group from St. Bridget Parish is just one example of hospital ministry in action. Camillus is comprised of 10 dedicated lay ministers who offer comfort and Catholic ministry to patients and families at Seattle Children's Hospital. Read more about them in Northwest Catholic.

Continuing formation for chaplains

The Archdiocese of Seattle partners with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) to provide periodic continuing formation sessions for board-certified chaplains and other hospital ministry volunteers in our region. In addition, we work to provide ecclesiastical endorsement for those pursuing board certification with the NACC.