“It helps to have someone come around and lift your spirits,” said Barbara Ledger, a patient at St. Joseph Hospital having her knee replaced in May. She said the pastoral care services provided to her and her husband were a great comfort during her stay at the hospital.

When a patient is ill, the body is affected not only physically, but emotionally. Many emotions accompany illnesses, especially when they are serious. One way to help a patient rest and recover is to treat the whole person. This takes on many aspects, including providing pastoral care to patients. St. Joseph Healthcare has a pastoral team ready to help meet the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their families.

Sister Mary Edmund, director of Pastoral Care Services, is an integral member of the pastoral care team at St. Joseph Healthcare.

Sister Edmund’s days are spent visiting patients and helping those in need, calming fears and addressing any emergency situation that may arise.

A warm, kind and gentle person, Sister Edmund has a knack for comforting worried and frightened patients and their families. As a member of the Felician Order, which sponsors the hospital, Sister Edmund is one of seven Felician Sisters found within the halls of St. Joseph Hospital every day.

The Rev. Roland Nadeau currently serves as chaplain of the hospital. Father Nadeau brings a unique perspective to the position because he has been married and is the father of three grown sons.

After the death of his wife in 1985 and with his children grown, he felt that it was time to return to his calling, which he had began before he met his beloved wife. He was ordained a priest in 2000 and accepted the position of chaplain at St. Joseph Healthcare in the summer of 2004.

Rounding out the pastoral care team is the newest addition, Judy Young, who began working at St. Joseph Healthcare in November 2005 as a contingent chaplain.

She lends a hand when Father Nadeau and Sister Edmund are unavailable. Judy came to St. Joseph Healthcare with 45 years of experience in health care, both as a registered nurse and as an administrator.

She is working on a master’s degree in theology at the Bangor Theological Seminary and is due to graduate next spring.

“They – Father Nadeau and Sister Edmund – made me feel better,” Ledger said. “I enjoyed having Father Nadeau bring Communion because I couldn’t get out of bed to have it. I thought he and Sister Edmund were very nice.”

“I think the spiritual component is very important to healing,” said Young. That belief is evident in all three individuals serving the pastoral care needs of patients and their families at St. Joseph Healthcare. Their services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

While St. Joseph Hospital is a not-for-profit Catholic health care organization, pastoral care services are provided to people of all faiths and incorporate each individual’s personal faith traditions.

Daily Mass is celebrated in the chapel, located in St. Joseph Hospital. Masses are held at 6:45 a.m. weekdays and 7:45 a.m. on weekends and holidays. The chapel is open to visitors 5 a.m.-8 p.m.

Casey J. Cote is a public affairs and development associate at St. Joseph Healthcare.