Duval County

Coronavirus: Chaplains stepping in when families can’t as pandemic rages on

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —

This pandemic has led to millions around the world dying in hospitals without family by their side.

But chaplains’ step in to be a source of comfort for the sick and dying.

For Baptist South’s lead chaplain, Mary Moore, ministering is a calling.

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Since the pandemic started, she’s been working longer hours.

“It’s certainly been a challenging time for us as chaplains,” she said.

Moore has been ministering for more than 30 years and while she’s used to seeing death, she’s never seen anything like this.

“We have had up to six deaths a day and that’s a larger number than we typically see clearly,” she said.

Right now, throughout the Baptist Health hospitals in our area alone, there are 151 patients battling COVID19 of those, 27, are in the ICU.

Moore said the pandemic has forced chaplains to rethink how they minister.

“We use all of the PPE that’s required to go in and out of rooms we are cautious about the amount of time that we spend in a room while still wanting to give the level of care that we have always given,” said Moore.

She talks to families through a video chat, often facilitating their final goodbyes.

“Isolation is such a huge part of the COVID experience whether it’s being quarantined at home or whether it’s being in the hospital and not being able to have visitors,” she said.

Having a front row seat to all that grief, also means Moore and her fellow chaplains need to make sure they’re checking on their mental health too.

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“If we turn our backs on what we’re feeling then yeah, we have some days when it starts to take a toll on us but what we try to do is rely on each other,” said Moore.

As the pandemic continues, so will the grief, but Moore has this advice for those who simply feel lost.

“I want to tell people not to let the collective experience of all we’re grieving over rob them of their individual experience. Take that time that you need to grieve.”