My Summer CPE Ministry in Philadelphia
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September 22, 2023The new fall semester has begun, and I have begun to reflect on my summer ministry in Philadelphia. I completed one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Penn Medicine. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is a 780-bed medical center with a Level 1 Trauma Center.
Founded in 1751, it is the oldest hospital in the United States. I was part of a team that provided spiritual services in different units of the hospital. My assignments included Otolaryngology, Occupational Health Nursing, and Plastic Surgery, as well as the Intensive Care Unit and General Medical Service Unit. I also served as the on-call chaplain once a week, covering the on-call phone and responding to Codes during the day.
My CPE group was small – Beck Epstein, Andrea Bodary and I – led by Betty White, our instructor. We worked well together and shared many experiences. I gained confidence in my pastoral care working with this group and providing spiritual services to the assigned units of the hospital.
It was a wonderful experience. At the end of the program, I received a certificate for completing one unit of CPE, and I was given the Penn Medicine Chaplain pin. Other chaplains joined my group for a joyful celebration at the completion of the program.
Many thanks to the confreres of the Baltimore Province for their fine hospitality. I stayed at the rectory attached to St. Peter the Apostle Church and the National Shrine of St. John Neumann. I appreciate the camaraderie of the confreres at the rectory, and Fr. Richard Bennett, for welcoming me into their community and supporting me throughout the summer.
