HOSPITAL & HEALTHCARE CHAPLAINCY

Currently forty-nine Healthcare chaplains  minister on behalf of the Diocese of Down & Connor as part of the Catholic Chaplaincy Teams including Priests, Lay people, Deacons and Religious.  They do so across three Healthcare Trusts on twenty-nine sites on a full or part-time basis either in a paid or voluntary capacity.  Chaplains provide specialist, professional ministry attending to the spiritual and religious needs of staff, patients, and their families.  Chaplains visit the wards and where appropriate they listen, talk, make referrals, pray and distribute Holy Communion.  Priests celebrate the Sacraments of Confession and Anointing of the Sick when requested.  Priests and Deacons are also available for emergency baptism.

Chaplains receive referrals from patients, staff, family, or clergy.It is advisable to ensure a patient’s name is registered on the chaplains list if they wish a visit from a chaplain.  This information can be given to a staff member either at Admissions, on the Ward or at any time during their stay.  Chaplains may not know that a patient would appreciate a pastoral visit if they are not on the Chaplains’ visitation list.  Therefore, if a patient wishes to receive chaplaincy visits while in hospital, please ask for their name to be placed on the chaplains’ list.

In case of an emergency, all hospitals have Priest Chaplains on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  The patient or their family should ask one of the ward nursing staff to “Contact the Catholic Chaplain on-call through switchboard.”  For non-urgent general enquires, a member of the Catholic Chaplaincy Team can be contacted through the relevant hospital switchboard using the numbers below.Hospital Chapels and quiet room spaces are available for everyone to use, and some have religious services and prayer times scheduled.  See below for the details for each hospital.

NORTHERN HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE TRUST

ANTRIM AREA HOSPITAL (Including Holywell)      Tel. (028) 9442 4000

⛪      The Hospital Chapel is located on ‘A’ floor off the main corridor, behind Medical Photography.

+       Chaplaincy Department, Bush Road, Antrim, BT41 2RL

Catholic Chaplaincy Team

Rev. Dawid Aksenczuk, Sr Mary-Jo Corcoran, Mrs Mary Forsythe, Deacon Ricky Looney, Rev. Jain Mathew.

On-Call Support: Very Rev. Patrick Devlin & Very Rev. James O’Reilly and local parishes.

CAUSEWAY HOSPITAL   (Including Robinson Memorial)    Tel. (028) 7032 7032

⛪      The Hospital Chapel is located on the ground floor, off the main corridor.

+       4 Newbridge Road, Coleraine, BT52 1 HS

Catholic Chaplaincy Team

Very Rev. Damian McCaughan, Sr Rosemary Gallagher & Rev. Nideesh Varghese.

On-Call Support: Very Rev. Kevin McGuckian.

DALRIADA HOSPITAL {Served through Ballycastle Parish}         Tel.  (028) 2076 2666

+       1a Coleraine Road, Ballycastle, BT54 6EY

Catholic Chaplaincy Team

Very Rev. Brian Daly.

SOUTH EASTERN HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE TRUST

LAGAN VALLEY HOSPITAL {Served through Lisburn Parish}                Tel.   (028) 9266 5141

(Including Lagan Valley Psychiatric Unit and Thompson House)

+       39 Hillsborough Road, Lisburn, BT28 1JP

Catholic Chaplaincy Team

Very Rev. Dermot McCaughan

ULSTER HOSPITAL, DUNDONALD (Including Ulster Maternity Unit)              Tel.  (028) 9048 4511

⛪      The Hospital Church is located on the first floor off the main corridor in the ‘Old’ site.

+       Chaplaincy Department, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT16 1RH

Catholic Chaplaincy Team

Very Rev. Henry McCann, Sr Ann Quinn, Very Rev. Conor McGrath & Very Rev. Martin O’Hagan.

DOWNE HOSPITAL (Including Downshire Psychiatric Unit)                        Tel.  (028) 4461 3311

+       Chaplaincy Department, 2 Struell Wells Road, Downpatrick BT30 6RL

Catholic Chaplaincy Team

Very Rev. John Murray, Very Rev. Gerard McCloskey, Deacon Paul Bradley & Deacon Jackie Breen.