MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT: Sister Patricia Dooley
Hospice Chaplain, Bethesda Hospice Group
St. Louis, Missouri

Bio Box
Birthplace: St. Louis
Family background:  Irish descent. Two living sisters and two brothers (now deceased)
Living person you most admire: Edwina Gately
Quote to live by: “Pure joy is the present moment minus my opinion of it.” –Eckert Talle

Q. How did you get started in your ministry?

A. After teaching for more than 30 years, I was searching for another ministry. A friend who was a chaplain really seemed to enjoy her work. However, there weren’t many open positions in hospitals for chaplaincy, so I put off the idea. I worked in counseling for a while and then served as a family advocate during the flood of ’93. As this position wound down, I decided to take the leap and complete CPE training. During my two years of training, I worked in various areas – one of which was hospice. Working with hospice patients tugged at my heartstrings, and it was then that I knew I wanted to work in hospice. I ministered as a hospice chaplain for Unity Health Hospice for 10 years. I began my position as a chaplain for Bethesda in June 2006.

Q. What does your role as a hospice chaplain involve?

A. My position at Bethesda differs from my former role at Unity in that I now work in the Alzheimer’s Division. Adjusting to this new role has been challenging, but has its rewards. My responsibilities include visiting with the patients, being present to the patients as they near death and counseling the families. In working with patients who have dementia or Alzheimer’s, I try to engage them in activities that spark the senses – I read books with them, play music for them, pray with them, and put lotion on their hands (it’s important for them to be touched). I also try to put them at ease; I talk with their families about what things were meaningful to them – whether it is a Scripture passage or an event from the past.

Q. How do you extend the charism through your ministry?

A. By tending to the elderly and people facing end of life. Often those with Alzheimer’s are marginalized by family and society. I strongly believe that this ministry respects the dignity of each person.

Q. As a 50-year Jubilarian, what has sustained you in religious life?

A. Friendships…Shared faith…Relationships…Prayer…Retreats…Fun/play

Q. If you were trying to inspire new members to join, what would you tell them based on your own experiences?

A. To be true to themselves and to match their gifts and talents with the needs of the world.