Healing Through Presence and Grace: Honoring Our Chaplains
October 18–24, 2026, is Spiritual Care Week, also known as Pastoral Care Week—a time to recognize and celebrate chaplains, pastoral care counselors, educators, and spiritual care providers who accompany people through some of life's most meaningful and challenging moments.
This year's theme, “Healing Through Presence and Grace,” features kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with precious metals.
Rather than hiding the cracks created by breakage, kintsugi highlights them, transforming them into a visible part of the object's story. The repaired piece becomes something new—one that carries its history openly.
It is a powerful symbol for the work of spiritual care.
The Power of Being Present
For patients and families receiving hospice and supportive care, life can bring profound changes. There may be grief, uncertainty, difficult decisions, questions about the future, or a need to reflect on a life well lived.
Chaplains provide a compassionate presence through these experiences.
Across Care Synergy Affiliates, chaplains walk alongside patients and families, offering support that is guided by each person's individual needs, beliefs, and wishes.
Sometimes spiritual care involves prayer, scripture, or religious rituals. Other times, it means listening to someone's story, talking about family and memories, exploring questions about meaning and purpose, or simply sitting quietly together.
There doesn't always need to be an answer.
Sometimes, being there is enough.
Spiritual Care for People of All Faiths
One of the most important aspects of spiritual care is recognizing that every person's experience is unique.
Our chaplains support people of all faiths, spiritual traditions, and beliefs, as well as those who do not identify with a particular faith.
Spiritual care isn't about promoting a particular religion or asking someone to adopt a particular belief. Instead, it is about meeting people where they are and honoring what gives their lives meaning.
For some, faith and prayer may be central sources of comfort. For others, meaning may come from family, relationships, nature, music, personal values, memories, or the legacy they hope to leave behind.
Some people may have questions about faith or spirituality. Others may not want to discuss those subjects at all.
Our chaplains honor all of these experiences.
Walking Alongside Patients and Families
Chaplains don't need to "fix" grief, provide easy answers, or make difficult circumstances disappear.
Their role is often one of companionship.
They create space for people to tell their stories, remember those they love, express gratitude, explore unresolved feelings, celebrate meaningful moments, or simply be heard.
For families, a chaplain can provide another source of support during a time when emotions may feel overwhelming.
For patients, a chaplain can offer the reassurance of knowing that someone is willing to sit beside them, listen, and walk with them through whatever they are experiencing.
Kintsugi and the Journey Through Grief
The image of kintsugi offers an especially meaningful way to think about grief and healing.
Healing doesn't necessarily mean erasing the cracks.
Loss changes us. Grief changes us. Difficult experiences become part of our stories.
But with compassion, connection, and support, those experiences can also become part of a journey toward resilience and meaning.
Our chaplains are privileged to accompany patients and families on that journey.
Their presence doesn't erase pain. Instead, it creates space for people to acknowledge what they are experiencing and find their own ways forward.
Celebrating Our Chaplains
During Spiritual Care Week, we are grateful for the chaplains across Care Synergy Affiliates and the meaningful work they do every day.
Thank you for listening when someone needs to be heard.
Thank you for sitting quietly when words aren't enough.
Thank you for honoring people of every faith, spiritual tradition, and belief—including those who do not identify with a particular faith.
Thank you for meeting people where they are and walking alongside them with compassion and respect.
And thank you for reminding us that sometimes one of the most meaningful gifts we can give another person is simply our presence.
This Spiritual Care Week, we celebrate our chaplains and the grace, compassion, and humanity they bring to the people and families they serve.
Healing can begin with presence.
Go Back This year's theme, “Healing Through Presence and Grace,” features kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with precious metals.
Rather than hiding the cracks created by breakage, kintsugi highlights them, transforming them into a visible part of the object's story. The repaired piece becomes something new—one that carries its history openly.
It is a powerful symbol for the work of spiritual care.
The Power of Being Present
For patients and families receiving hospice and supportive care, life can bring profound changes. There may be grief, uncertainty, difficult decisions, questions about the future, or a need to reflect on a life well lived.
Chaplains provide a compassionate presence through these experiences.
Across Care Synergy Affiliates, chaplains walk alongside patients and families, offering support that is guided by each person's individual needs, beliefs, and wishes.
Sometimes spiritual care involves prayer, scripture, or religious rituals. Other times, it means listening to someone's story, talking about family and memories, exploring questions about meaning and purpose, or simply sitting quietly together.
There doesn't always need to be an answer.
Sometimes, being there is enough.
Spiritual Care for People of All Faiths
One of the most important aspects of spiritual care is recognizing that every person's experience is unique.
Our chaplains support people of all faiths, spiritual traditions, and beliefs, as well as those who do not identify with a particular faith.
Spiritual care isn't about promoting a particular religion or asking someone to adopt a particular belief. Instead, it is about meeting people where they are and honoring what gives their lives meaning.
For some, faith and prayer may be central sources of comfort. For others, meaning may come from family, relationships, nature, music, personal values, memories, or the legacy they hope to leave behind.
Some people may have questions about faith or spirituality. Others may not want to discuss those subjects at all.
Our chaplains honor all of these experiences.
Walking Alongside Patients and Families
Chaplains don't need to "fix" grief, provide easy answers, or make difficult circumstances disappear.
Their role is often one of companionship.
They create space for people to tell their stories, remember those they love, express gratitude, explore unresolved feelings, celebrate meaningful moments, or simply be heard.
For families, a chaplain can provide another source of support during a time when emotions may feel overwhelming.
For patients, a chaplain can offer the reassurance of knowing that someone is willing to sit beside them, listen, and walk with them through whatever they are experiencing.
Kintsugi and the Journey Through Grief
The image of kintsugi offers an especially meaningful way to think about grief and healing.
Healing doesn't necessarily mean erasing the cracks.
Loss changes us. Grief changes us. Difficult experiences become part of our stories.
But with compassion, connection, and support, those experiences can also become part of a journey toward resilience and meaning.
Our chaplains are privileged to accompany patients and families on that journey.
Their presence doesn't erase pain. Instead, it creates space for people to acknowledge what they are experiencing and find their own ways forward.
Celebrating Our Chaplains
During Spiritual Care Week, we are grateful for the chaplains across Care Synergy Affiliates and the meaningful work they do every day.
Thank you for listening when someone needs to be heard.
Thank you for sitting quietly when words aren't enough.
Thank you for honoring people of every faith, spiritual tradition, and belief—including those who do not identify with a particular faith.
Thank you for meeting people where they are and walking alongside them with compassion and respect.
And thank you for reminding us that sometimes one of the most meaningful gifts we can give another person is simply our presence.
This Spiritual Care Week, we celebrate our chaplains and the grace, compassion, and humanity they bring to the people and families they serve.
Healing can begin with presence.