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The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
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a healthy church...transformingLIFE |
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The cutting-edge of pastoral care |
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A few days after Geraldine van Ommen had been officially farewelled as Anglican Chaplain and Chaplaincy Co-ordinator at Launceston General Hospital, the Sunday morning Eucharist marked thanksgiving for her ministry over the past six years and ‘Godspeed’ as she and her husband Jim began their joint retirement. The Rev’d Joyce Blazely who presided, stressed the appropriateness in marking Geraldine’s ministry, of the parable of the Good Samaritan as the Gospel for the day. It was an opportunity for all present – patients, members of the regular congregation and visitors – to express their thanks and prayerful good wishes, and for Geraldine to receive tokens of their love. Much time was spent after the service in supping soup, selecting sandwiches and savouries and cutting cake! Care for the carersGeraldine had moved into chaplaincy after being involved in pastoral care in a number of Tasmanian churches, and after completing a course in Clinical Pastoral Education. She soon found that her ministry was not only to patients and families but to staff as well – someone had to care for the carers and chaplaincy was at the cutting edge of all pastoral care. There were times when she helped the young and not-so-young who had drifted in from the streets. She never knew how or when the next crisis would appear. Some would have expressed doubts about the appointment of a woman to such a position, but it was because she was a (mature) woman that she was frequently able to relate to the vulnerable, the alienated and the needy. We continue to pray for Jim and Geraldine in their retirement ministry and ask God’s blessing on them and on those who have to chose the right person to take her place! |
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