Gifts of hope in the hospital: Pastors support patients!

Gifts of hope in the hospital: Pastors support patients!

On February 11, 2025, “World Day of the Sick,” the Diocese of Innsbruck will focus on the central role of hospital pastoral care. Under the motto “Hope”, the pastoral care links the day with the current “Holy Year”, in which they accompany the patients and their relatives as “pilgrims of hope”. Hildegard Anegg, the head of hospital pastoral care, emphasizes the importance of her work and emphasizes that exchanges with suffering people often take place in small moments. “It is precisely the times of loss of health that are deeply challenging,” said Bishop Hermann Glettler. In Tyrol, in addition to 26 full-time pastors, there are also 37 volunteers who together invest around 37,000 hours in pastoral care each year.

Diverse pastoral care offerings

The pastors are available in all hospitals in the Diocese of Innsbruck to meet the spiritual needs of everyone involved. Whether patients, relatives or hospital staff – everyone can request support. In addition to confidential conversations, pastoral care offers important rituals such as anointing of the sick, church services and farewell rituals. What is striking is that pastoral care can be reached at any time, and the staff on the wards can quickly establish contact. Hildegard Anegg leads the team, which also includes Protestant pastors. The offer of pastoral care is supplemented by the distribution of “cards of hope” in the tirol clinics, which are intended to spread hope and confidence by sending the message: “May hope always blossom again!” Together with these initiatives, such as dibk.at The Diocese of Innsbruck emphasizes the value of pastoral care for sick people and their families.