At Saint Francis Healthcare System, we are guided by the Ethical and Religious Directives (ERDs) of Catholic Health Care Services. These directives are founded on the Social Teachings of the Catholic Church and, by extension, on the deliberations of the Magisterium, the Canon Law and Sacred Scripture in the faith tradition of the Catholic Church. Our practice will be vetted under the following:
- USCCB Ethical and Religious Directives
- The Magisterium
- Social Teachings
- Canon Law
- Sacred Scripture
Pastoral Care Services
What is Pastoral Care?
Pastoral Care at Saint Francis Medical Center provides spiritual and emotional care to patients, families and staff. It supports the Healthcare System’s mission of healing and meets the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations’ standards that state, “Patients have a fundamental right to considerate care that safeguards their personal dignity and respects their cultural, psychosocial and spiritual values.”
Chaplains and Spiritual Care Ministers
Pastoral Care’s Chaplains and Spiritual Care Ministers are theologically, psychosocially, and clinically trained clergy, religious and 32 laypersons whose work reflects:
- Sensitivity to multicultural and multi-faith realities
- Respect for patients’ spiritual and religious preferences
- Understanding of the impact illness may have on individuals and their caregivers
- Knowledge of healthcare organizational structure and dynamics
- Accountability as part of a professional patient care team, participating in medical rounds, patient care conferences and charting spiritual care interventions in medical charts
The office of Mission Integration and Pastoral Care Services is Staffed by Priest Chaplains and Spiritual Care Ministers:
- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield – Cape Girardeau
- The Little Sisters of St. Francis
Services for all Faiths
Pastoral Care’s professional chaplains reach across all faith group boundaries and provide supportive spiritual care to people in distress through:
- Risk screening to identify individuals with religious/spiritual conflicts that may compromise their recovery or satisfactory adjustment
- Facilitation of spiritual issues related to organ/tissue donation
- Crisis intervention/critical stress debriefing
- Conflict resolution among staff, patients and family members
- Pre- and post-surgical visits
- Staff support of personal crisis or work stress
- Organizational support during Medical Center changes or crisis
- Pastoral counseling
Ceremonies of Worship and Ritual
The priest and professional chaplains in Cape Girardeau design and lead religious ceremonies of worship and offer services including:
- Mass in the Saint Francis Chapel
- Sacraments (baptism at the time of birth or as requested by adults or family)
- Prayer daily at 8 am and 8 pm through overhead announcement
Mission, Ethics and Education
Pastoral Care consults with staff and patients about ethical concerns, especially those related to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. They also educate the healthcare team and community about the relationship between religious/spiritual issues and Medical Center services in the following ways:
- Ministerial alliance participation
- Making presentations concerning spirituality and health issues
- Mission integration activities and orientation of new employees (i.e., history, tradition, philosophy, and values)
Mass Times
Mass is held Monday through Friday at 11 am. Services can be viewed on Channel 22 in patients’ rooms.
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration
Pastoral Care supports Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, which is staffed by more than 300 volunteers from the community, who pray for all the needs of the Medical Center 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in the Adoration Chapel.
Contact Pastoral Care
Call 573-331-5146 or 573-331-5826 to learn more about Pastoral Care at Saint Francis.
Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese
Message from Our Bishop
Parishes in Our Region – Deanery 6
- Advance
- St. Joseph
573-722-3504
33921 State Hwy 91, Advance, MO
- St. Joseph
- Benton
- St. Denis
573-545-3864
135 N Winchester Street, Benton, MO
- St. Denis
- Cape Girardeau
- Catholic Campus Ministry
573-335-3899
Newman Center Chapel, 902 College Hill, Cape Girardeau, MO - Old St. Vincent (Chapel of Ease)
573-335-9347
Main & William Streets, Cape Girardeau, MO - St. Mary Of The Annunciation Cathedral
573-335-9347
615 William Street, Cape Girardeau, MO - St. Vincent De Paul
573-335-7667
1913 Ritter Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO
- Catholic Campus Ministry
- Chaffee
- St. Ambrose
573-887-3953
418 S 3rd Street, Chaffee, MO
- St. Ambrose
- Fredericktown
- St. Michael The Archangel
573-783-2182
304 W Main Steet, Fredericktown, MO
- St. Michael The Archangel
- Glennon
- St. Anthony
573-238-3300
Glennon, MO
- St. Anthony
- Ironton
- Ste. Marie Du Lac
573-546-2611
350 S Main Street, Ironton, MO
- Ste. Marie Du Lac
- Jackson
- Immaculate Conception
573-243-3182
208 S Hope Street, Suite 102, Jackson, MO
- Immaculate Conception
- Kelso
- St. Augustine
573-264-4106
211 S Messmer Street, 220 S Us Highway 61, Kelso, MO
- St. Augustine
- Leopold
- St. John
573-238-3300
103 Main Street, Leopold, MO
- St. John
- Lesterville
- Our Lady of Sorrows
573-637-2444
Lesterville, MO
- Our Lady of Sorrows
- New Hamburg
- St. Lawrence
573-545-3317
1001 State Hwy A, New Hamburg, MO
- St. Lawrence
- Oran
- Guardian Angel
573-262-3210
604 Church Street, Oran, MO
- Guardian Angel
- Scott City
- St. Joseph
573-264-4106
604 Sycamore Street, Scott City, MO
- St. Joseph
- Viburnum
- St. Philip Benizi
Viburnum, MO
- St. Philip Benizi