New Woman Chaplain Offers Solace to the Sick

Chaplains are more than what Chaplains do. They assist individuals to be all they can be in body, mind, and spirit. To be a whole person, no matter what their life circumstances. By listening carefully as individuals relate their life stories, the Chaplain can help them articulate and assess their own spirituality. They practice spiritual caregiving. You're watching the Local News Network brought to you by Boon's Family Thai Barbecue and CMIT solutions. I'm Wendy Graham Settle. Every person lives spiritually, but not everyone is religious. Chaplains must be able to distinguish between their own spirituality, and that of those they serve.

Chaplains are about diversity. We celebrate all faith traditions. We're prepared to take care of people of all faith traditions. And I find it delightful to have different faith traditions, different cultures represented. That's exactly what Chaplains are cut out for.

In the age of COVID, the Reverend must minister not only to patients, but to the entire hospital staff.

I make my way down to the loading dock, and to the maintenance world. I never failed to talk to the housekeepers. Because this is taking a toll on every last person who works in the hospital setting. Everybody knows somebody that we've lost to COVID. Some have lost family members. And, it's just very waring to see people so ill for so long. And so yes, absolutely, it's a big part of my ministry here. I would say I spend almost as much time paying attention to the caregivers and assisting them in any way I can, as I do the patients. So it's a big job.

Like her colleagues, Reverend Broom Setter'S hours can be endless, but she doesn't find the many hours she works difficult.

There are some tough days, but I always say there's never a bad day on a hospital floor, a really tough day, a draining day, but never a bad day. Because, what we've done is helped people through what would appear to be an insurmountable time when they first come in, very frightened, not sure how things are going to turn out. And just the satisfaction of being able to help another human being, and give compassionate care and make a difference in a life, makes it completely worth it.

Patients at San Juan Regional Medical Center not only enjoy a healing garden, but four large meditation rooms, one on each floor, where the acoustics are such that a faint whisper can be heard easily.

And they're built in a circle. They have a dome, just like a Kiva. So as you can see, they look very much like a chapter house or a Kiva, with the center, with the lights on the walls, with the dome.

Reverend Broom Setter received a clear call to minister at a young age. And she obtained a Master's Divinity Degree, cum laude, from Boston university. A native of Aztec, New Mexico, Broom Setter took 50 years to find her way back home. When plain prayer won't do, she sometimes prescribes music as a complimentary therapy, in the form of her own rhythmic voice. ♪ I've got peace like a river ♪ I've got peace like a river I've got peace like a river in my soul I've got peace like a fountain I've got peace like a fountain I've got peace like a fountain in my soul

Thanks for watching this edition of the Local News Network. I'm Wendy Graham Settle.

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