An Interfaith Sacred Space at Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital was blessed during an ecumenical service late last month.
The hospital already has a Catholic chapel, which was recently renovated, but some members of the chaplain staff felt an interfaith space was needed, said Jose´ Albovias, a chaplain at the hospital.
“Out of compassion we felt like our patients, families and staff of other religions needed another place to practice their spiritual walks for holistic healing,” he said in a press release.
The interfaith space, a room on the hospital’s third floor, has a cabinet to hold worship items from different religions, including items particular to Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Native American traditions. Labels on the shelves and on the door appear in English, Arabic and Vietnamese.
The room’s walls are labeled with the four cardinal directions of north, south, east and west. Outside the door, worshippers will also find a shoe rack, the release said.
The space is located on the hospital’s third floor near the “D” elevators and adjacent to the Signature Healthcare rehabilitation unit.
Albovias noted that the chapel has been in daily use since its opening.
