Spiritual Pathways

May 2009 Archives

By ERIC HANSON
Texas Medical Center News

Virgil Fry has spent most of his adult life as a chaplain serving patients and their families at the institutions of the Texas Medical Center. As the executive director of Lifeline Chaplaincy, he has seen thousands of very sick people during his career but one patient remains freshly firm in his memory. "There was a man at M.D. Anderson who had a series of facial surgeries and by the time I met him most of his face had been removed," Fry remembered. "When you looked at him, you were looking at a gaping orifice." Fry said the man had a prosthesis mask but could talk better without it and asked him if he could take the mask off while they chatted. "We had the most incredible visit after he took that mask off. He began to talk about what he had been through," Fry said. "He had a very tender heart. He said he had spent a lot of time wrestling with God and there were times when he wanted to end his own life but he didn't." Fry said the patient then began asking about him, his family, and how he came to be a chaplain.

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My Spirit Hears You: A Free Web Cast

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My Spirit Hears You: A Free Web Cast
Friday, May 8, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.
Presenter: Chaplain Marta Pena, Masters of Divinity, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

How do you communicate and minister to those with dementia or those who cannot verbally communicate? Join Chaplain Marta Pena on May 8 at 10:30 a.m. at mmLearn.org and learn about how to make the most of a visit with someone whose dementia or other challenges has robbed them of the skill to verbally communicate. Discover practical ways to make the most of a visit with a person in a nursing home or memory care facility.

Through her dynamic presentation, theological perspectives and medical training, Chaplain Pena will help you learn how you can touch the spirit of someone with dementia and learn something about your own spirituality in the process. This training is recommended for pastoral care providers, including lay ministers and volunteers, as well as family care providers.

HOW TO WATCH THE WEBCAST: The web cast will be presented live at www.mmLearn.org. Once you arrive at the website, click on Free Videos in the lower right corner. Once you reach the Free Video page, My Spirit Hears You, will the first video on the page. Click on it and the web cast will begin about 10:30 a.m. You will be able to make comments and ask questions by using the Ask function at the top of the page. Once the web cast is complete, My Spirit Hears You will be available on demand within a week.

For more information: info@mmLearn.org