Angela Hospice’s Spiritual Care team is here to support patients, families, and colleagues as they navigate the many challenging emotions and concerns that can surface at the end of life. As Lead Spiritual Care Counselor Nicole Romero said, hospice “is really heavy heart and soul work.” Angela Hospice’s Spiritual Care team walks alongside patients and families, honoring their individuality and affirming their humanity.
“Really the core of spirituality is where you find that sense of meaning and purpose and belonging,” Nicole explained. “And for a lot of us, that might be through a particular religious perspective. For others, it’s a whole broad spectrum of life and lived experiences.”
Spiritual Care Counselor Lonnie Hunt explained, “I hear quite often, ‘Oh, I’m not religious.’ But that’s not what spirituality is about. Spirituality and spiritual care counseling is about us connecting with them based on their strengths, their beliefs, what they like and dislike, and what they want to talk to us about regarding their life.”
To learn more about our kind and compassionate Spiritual Counselors, see more of what they had to say below:
Nicole Romero, MDiv
“I hold such high regard to my work in Spiritual Care and truly love my role. It’s an honor to hear stories and help patients and families process through the complexities of lived human experiences and all of the unknowns one faces at end of life. Each of us is a spiritual person and we all have things and people who are meaningful to us, areas of purpose, and spaces we’ve hopefully felt belonging. In Spiritual Care, I and the team get to witness passions, comforts, and areas of support. It’s a gift to be invited into spaces and support our patients and families.”
cristy cardinal, MDiv
“I hold love at the center of my faith, and my general perspective is one of mutual aid and caring. In these treacherous times, I hear no higher calling than bearing witness to someone’s story of being human, which is what spiritual care is all about for me. My own relationship with the sacred is strengthened through this meaningful work, as the face of God is before me always.”
Lonnie Hunt, MREML
“We’re there to actively listen. We’re there to hear what’s in our patient’s psyche, and what’s on their mind and what fears they have. And let’s talk about it and address it, and help them to journey along a better path spiritually. That’s what we do, as well as share compassion and empathy.”
Rich Lister, MAPS
“I find it to be very humbling, very edifying as well. At times I find that the patients and families teach me a lot about suffering and dealing with illness, and it makes me reflect on my own life—if that were to happen how would I deal with it… They’re a great witness to me of staying the course in terms of their faith and the challenges they go through.”
