Lead hospital chaplain the Rev. Linda Le Vasseur has worked hard to make the Princess Elizabeth Hospital chapel a place for everyone.
‘The chapel was a very Christian place. It reflected a time and model of chaplaincy from when it first began. I was very conscious that in this day and age it should be much more inclusive,’ she said.
Mrs Le Vasseur hopes to bring users of the chapel along with her as changes are made and make it a place that anyone feels able to visit.
‘Chaplaincy now is about recognising spirituality, whether religious or not.’
One of the first changes made was to the seating.
Previously the arrangement was like a church with rows facing an altar, instead there is a semi-circle of chairs.
There is also space at the back of the room for prayer mats to be laid out and the room’s windows face towards Mecca so those of the Islamic faith know which way to face for their prayers.
‘I was also conscious of the number of people who I met in the hospital who said they wanted a place to be quiet.
‘I said to use the chapel, and they would say, “But I’m not religious”.
‘It got me wondering what I could do to make it a less religious place.’
She said a lot of staff liked to visit the chapel either before or after their shift as a quiet space.
‘Here we have staff from all over the world. Some are Christians but there are other backgrounds as well.
‘And it is so for the patients, I have blessed a number of Hindu babies.’
One thing Mrs Le Vasseur wanted to change was the artwork on the walls, which all had very Christian themes, and photographer John Fitzgerald came to the rescue with a photograph of a sunset.
Other features have also been added to the chapel.
‘One of the things that works really well is the candles. Whether religious or not, people take great comfort from being able to light a candle.’
Because the chapel cannot have open flames, electric candles are used, but they still benefit visitors.
The chapel now has Gideon’s New Testament Bibles to take away in French and Polish as well as English, with hopes that, in time, Latvian ones will be available too.
There are uplifting cards to take away and children’s stories, sponsored by the Sarah Groves Foundation, which help to teach children about death.
As well as Christian services, meditative sessions are held in the chapel.
Certain services are broadcast to Jubilee Radio so hospital patients can hear too.
Mrs Le Vasseur said the changes were in partnership with Health & Social Care.
‘I think there’s a meeting of minds. It was initially me who said we need to do something, but I felt very supported by HSC.’
HSC provides the chapel with its space in the hospital, however everything within, including furniture, decoration and resources, comes from financial partnerships with different organisations.
‘If anybody ever gets an idea, I am always open to listen and if it falls in the remit of HSC I’m very happy to look at it,’ said Mrs Le Vasseur.
‘Chaplaincy is not faith, it’s not here to make disciples, it’s just there to support people on their journey whether that includes faith or not.’
n Anyone who would like to support the chapel can contact Mrs Le Vasseur through the hospital switchboard on 725241.
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