THE
P RTAL
September 2012
Page 10
Here am I Lord
talks to Diana Morphew
about her role in hospital
The Portal
“At the
Whittington Hospital in North London there
are around two Hundred Volunteers. I am in my first year as a
volunteer with Fr Mark Eliott Smith at the Chaplaincy. Not all
the volunteers are in the Chaplaincy, they help in many ways.
In the Chaplaincy we have three Catholic volunteers, and about
twenty in all.
I am
As soon as the Ordinariate was announced, I took
steps to join. As far as I know, I am the only one an Extra-Ordinary Minister of Holy Communion
from my Church who joined the Ordinariate, apart and on occasions I have to lead Eucharistic Worship
from our former priest. The members of the Central outside the Mass.
London Ordinariate Group come from many different
We keep a record of patients who need the Chaplaincy:
CofE congregations. They are all different liturgically
those who need anointing, Holy
and in many other ways.
Communion, or just a visit.
Brisbane, Australia
I was born in Brisbane in
Australia, then lived in Sydney
where I met Nigel in 1978.
Greece was my home for a year,
then London where Nigel and
I were married in 1980. He is a
retired Chartered Accountant.
Advertising and Marketing was
my work until I moved to work as
a Australian (New South Wales)
Public Servant based in London.
After my retirement Fr Mark
Eliott Smith became the Chaplain
at the Whittington Hospital as
well as our Ordinariate priest. He helps to co-ordinate
the various Faith Groups at the Hospital. It was natural
that I volunteer to help.
On my volunteer day I arrive at the Hospital at 1100
for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament followed by
Mass. After Mass we spend time catching up on who is
getting better or ready to go home and, of course, new
patients.
huge Maternity Ward
One quickly learns that the Hospital Staff need the
Chaplaincy as much - if not more sometimes - than
the patients. We have a huge Maternity Ward and our
share of premature babies. As well, Fr Mark conducts
funerals for stillborn babies and infants who have died
shortly after birth.
Nightingale Ward
Nightingale Ward is one I visit
regularly. Our “Rounds” begin
at about 2pm. Maybe the patient
wants to talk about the weather, say
the Lord’s Prayer or a Hail Mary,
receive Holy Communion or need
anointing by a priest. I always
carry my pix with me as well as
appropriate prayers, readings and
a condensed Eucharistic S ervice
sheet.
Some patients are jolly, others
worried. Every patient is different
and their problems are also different. I may go over
the A & E (Accident and Emergency) to make my face
known. It can be fraught there.
a friendly face
The interesting thing is that it can take me a long
time to get about the Hospital. People want to talk. This
is especially so when patients become “Day Patients”.
They see you, a friendly face, and want to talk. In a
way the Chaplaincy becomes the rock to which people
cling.
After “Rounds” it is back to the Chaplaincy Office to
write up what I have done that day; who has received
Holy Communion, or needs anointing. The Chaplaincy
also liaises with the parishes where patients attend
Mass.