January 29, 1999

To better serve the diverse spiritual and religious needs of patients, families and employees, the MGH Chaplaincy recently added two members to its staff – Lama Ngawang Jorden, a Buddhist priest and monk, and Imam Talal Eid, a Muslim cleric.

Rev. Mary Martha Thiel, one of the directors of the Chaplaincy says, "It's incredibly important for our staff to be diverse because our patients and employees come from so many different cultures, religions and traditions."

In addition to Lama Jorden and Imam Eid, chaplains at the MGH represent a range of religious backgrounds, from Roman Catholic to Jewish, and speak a rainbow of languages, from English, Hebrew, Spanish and Arabic to Igbo, a language of Nigeria. The Chaplaincy also relies on volunteers and community contacts for tradition-specific needs that it might not be able to meet with its own resources.

Patients may draw on their religious heritage and tradition with special intensity when they are ill. However, many times language barriers, variations in customs and differences in beliefs about medical care and treatment can make a patient feel uncomfortable and isolated.

"Having someone who can respond to and respect their needs and differences helps provide patients with a sense of comfort and connection," says Sister Sheila Hammond, also a director of the Chaplaincy. "Providing patients with an ally from their own cultures can make the hospital experience more bearable."

The Chaplaincy also educates care providers to understand these differences, enabling the entire health care team, including physicians, nurses and social workers, to work together to help patients feel less anxious and more trusting.

Patients, their families and employees may visit the MGH Chapel, where interfaith and traditional services are held daily. For Muslim prayer, a plaque indicating the direction of the Islamic holy city Mecca hangs outside the Chapel. Prayer rugs also are available.

"Diversity is so much a part of MGH's mission," says Hammond. "We are proud that we can be part of this mission in our own way."

To speak with a chaplain or to learn more about the MGH Chaplaincy, call 6-2220.

Patient Joslyn Donlin, left, from Seattle, talks with Lama Ngawang Jorden, MGH's Buddhist priest and monk, in the MGH Cancer Center on Cox 1.