Spiritual Care Week
Pastoral Care Week
Hospitality: Cultivating Space
October 20-26, 2019
Since 1985
Spiritual Care Week/Pastoral Care Week is hosted by The COMISS Network: The Network on Ministry in Specialized Settings. The first Pastoral Care Week was held in October 1985. Since then it has grown beyond national to international proportions. The celebration of Spiritual Care Week provides an opportunity for chaplains and pastoral care counselors, educators and providers to share their story and to celebrate various ministries. More specifically, the established objectives of the Spiritual Care Week Committee outline the scope of Spiritual Care Week observance:
· To celebrate the education for and practice of spiritual care through professional chaplaincy and pastoral counseling.
· To interpret and promote pastoral care.
· To honor and celebrate all practitioners of pastoral care.
· To express appreciation to institutions and their staff who support pastoral care ministries.
· To publicize the work of pastoral care organizations affiliated with COMISS.
· To promote continuing education for clergy, laity, and institutional employees regarding the value of pastoral care.
Each year a new theme brings to the light a certain aspect of spiritual care as a focus. A new theme invites us to new and creative ways to tell the story of spiritual care.
Celebrate This Week
Spiritual Care Week gives opportunities for organizations and institutions of all kinds and types to recognize the spiritual caregivers in their midst and the ministry which the caregivers provide.
This Year's Theme
Hospitality - Cultivating Space
Spiritual Care has been an important part of our society’s well-being since humanity sought meaning and connection in its life together. Religions and communities have valued its supportive influence. Hospitality as welcome and nurture requires space for people to feel free and accepted. As cultivation requires ground with which to work, the holy ground of creation is a wonderful starting point. This year's theme might have some thinking of Community Gardens - a shared space where communities grow together as they grow together. Spiritual care takes seriously the meaningful nature of the space in which we live - its physical realities and its metaphorical meaning. Thus there is value in providing space where one can feel safe and sheltered, space that allows dignity and creativity and spaces where reflection and worship enrich well-being and humanity.
The offering of space can involve silence. A person can find silence in one’s space and likewise one can create space in silence. Cultivating space can be an opportunity to create something where there was once nothingness. What a person does with his or her space is personal be it reflective or shared. When space is cultivated, it is dug out, set aside, nurtured for a purpose. If someone allows you into that space it is an invitation where silence can speak and meaning can be fostered. May this year’s focus bless you with space to offer care-ful spirituality.
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The Spiritual/Pastoral Care Week Committee
For more information or to send feedback or comments please e-mail the
Pastoral Care Week Committee c/o
Chaplain Clyde Angel
Pastoral Care Week Committee:
Clyde Angel-Chair
Elaine Barry
Brenda Brown
Kathleen Gallivan
Karen Moore
Peter Oliver
Kimberly Russell
Spiritual Care Week is no longer offering Spiritual or Pastoral Care Week celebration merchandise. If you desire to have items available to support your local Spiritual Care Week celebration, we encourage you to download one of the printable logo images above and take it to a local printer or merchandiser to create any desired celebration items.
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