How the role and visibility of chaplains changed over the past century
The COVID-19 pandemic brought new attention to the work of chaplains.
Before the pandemic, as an article in The New York Times put it, the place of the hospital chaplain was “at the bedside, holding a patient’s hand, counseling them and their family members, singing with them, crying with them, hugging them, offering the eucharist, or a prayer for healing.”
As the pandemic unfolded, the work of chaplains – increasingly called spiritual care providers – changed. Some were declared essential employees and continued to work in person, but they were not allowed into rooms with COVID-19 patients. They offered words of encouragement and solace through baby monitors and posters taped to patients’ doors.