A sacred space in a place of healing

Yesterday, while visiting my local hospital in County Kilkenny I had occasion to drop in to say a little prayer in the oratory which is a small, single room hidden away down a long corridor.  In this little room, about the size of a small12-square-metre bedroom, patients, staff and visitors drop in for a few moments to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Saint Luke’s Hospital was founded as a public hospital in 1941 and was staffed by religious sisters among others for many decades.

According to a notice at the entrance, Mass is celebrated there three days a week and Holy Communion is brought to the wards on two days a week including Sunday. Due to a gradual reduction in chaplaincy services and shortage of  priests in the locality and diocese there is no full-time chaplain and it is no longer possible

for patients or families to avail of the services of a priest or lay person tasked with ministry except on very special request to their own home parish.  In former times, sacramental ministry was readily available to anyone in need especially at the end of life. Sadly, this is no longer generally the case.  Surprisingly, to the best of my knowledge, there seems to be no back-up ministry by way of lay volunteers specially trained and mandated to visit and pray with the sick and bring Holy Communion outside the designated times.  I suspect that this is a growing pattern across many public hospitals in Ireland.

Still, I cannot help but notice staff dropping in during the day – especially when starting a shift.  I cannot help notice, also, the presence among these of particular overseas ethnic groups coming to pray in this little space.  The flame of faith has not gone out in Ireland and we must now look increasingly to the other nations of the world to come here to minister (in a few cases as priests and religious) as well as work in the health services and elsewhere and live the faith in their daily lives.  We must never lose hope or faith that there will be, at some point in the future, a re-awakening of faith among those who have grown up here in recent decades.

At the former main entrance to St Luke's Hospital, County Kilkenny there is an engraving from 1941: ''Tigidh chugamsa uile a bhfuiltí cuireach agus fá anualach trom' which can be translated as ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens' (Matthew 11:28)'

 

Hospitals are unusual places: there is so much happening by way of caring, healing, supporting, intervening and saving of lives. There is, also, much by way of suffering, anxiety, hope and loss in other parts of the very same building complex. Through it all, the candle of light keeps burning, Christ is present where two or three are gathered in his name and the Blessed Sacrament is a blessing in this special place. Long may it continue to be so.