Answers to your most burning questions about hospital chaplains, especially those that don't seem to "fit the mold" (i.e. Catholic laywomen):
1. Can women be chaplains? Yes, we can!
2. Can Catholic women be chaplains? Yes, yes, yes! People's jaws drop when I tell them that nearly 70% of Catholic chaplains are women (according to statistics from the National Association of Catholic Chaplains [NACC]). Many of these women are religious sisters, though more and more lay people (both men and women) are becoming chaplains. (Technically, religious brothers and sisters are lay people…) Here is some more information from a NACC document about chaplaincy.
Catholic
lay men and women can become board certified chaplains. Nearly one
half of our NACC members are lay men and women serving in spiritual
care ministry roles and most are board certified chaplains. Yet
many Catholic lay people do not realize that they can pursue this
profession. Only 17 percent of our membership are ordained clergy,
while nearly one-third are religious women.
3. Is the Catholic Church ordaining women now? Official answer: No. "Heretic" answer: Not yet …
4. If Catholic women are not ordained, how can they be chaplains? For Catholic women (and all Catholic laity) ordination is not a requirement for becoming a chaplain. The reasons, in the case of women, are obvious: no holy orders for us. For women of other religious denominations that have women clergy, ordination is generally a requirement. Catholic women, like any other Catholic chaplain (including priests!), have to fulfill all of the educational and clinical pastoral education (CPE) requirements of the NACC before they can be certified as chaplains.
5. How does someone become a chaplain? One has to endure a long and involved process that can take several years. To qualify for certification as a Catholic chaplain, you need to have completed four units of CPE (often done in a one-year residency at an accredited CPE facility, usually a hospital) and a master's degree in theology, divinity, pastoral ministry, spirituality, or religious education. There are other requirements, which you can learn about by clicking here. In my case, it took nearly five years to complete my CPE and graduate degree requirements.
6. What do chaplains do anyway? Are they just glorified hand-holders? Admittedly, it can be difficult to describe what chaplains do--and hand-holding is certainly a part of it. And it is glorious because it's not as easy as you might think. How many people do you know who can sit quietly and hold the hand of a dying person, witnessing the whole laborious process without freaking out, running away, or saying stupid things? The capacity to be present is fundamental. Aside from that, chaplains do many things, which you can learn more about here. From what I've seen and experienced, chaplains make the greatest impact at the end of life, providing not only comfort and prayer but also guidance through the chaos and confusion of decision-making about withholding or withdrawing medical treatment.
7. If I work as a chaplain, will I have to beg for shelter or eat dog food? So far, I've managed to live quite comfortably and I am not what you would call frugal. (Neither am I profligate, just in case you were wondering…) Other chaplains I work with and know are doing pretty well, too. Nobody's getting rich, but no one is struggling either. Hospital chaplains tend to have better salaries than chaplains who work in hospices and nursing homes. Catholic (and probably other faith-based hospitals) pay fairly well because they value spiritual care.
8. Can chaplains marry, make love, have kids? Lay Catholic chaplains who are not vowed religious are free to marry and celebrate all that marriage has to offer. Ordained chaplains of other religious denominations (e.g., Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Orthodox Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc.) are free to marry in accord with their faith tradition.
9. Can chaplains wear high heels? Of course, but I wouldn't recommend it because you're on your feet a lot. I've become quite the fan of Clark's line of "artisan shoes": stylish, feminine, and comfortable!
10. Other burning questions are sure to arise! Stay tuned! Meantime, here are some other chaplaincy resources:
National Association of Catholic Chaplains
Association of Professional Chaplains (myriad denominations and faith traditions)
National Association of Jewish Chaplains
The Healthcare Chaplaincy (articles and resources for professional chaplains)
Association of Clinical Pastoral Education
And by the way, I do not knit any of my shawls nor sew any of my clothes nor could I even if I really tried!
