Phone: 617-726-2220 | Page Operator: 617-726-2000
At MassGeneral Hospital for Children, spiritual support is available to children and their families twenty-four hours a day. The Chaplaincy is an interfaith department that provides spiritual care for patients, families, and staff of all faiths and for those with no specific religious affiliation. If you are part of a faith community, chaplains do not take the place of your own clergy, they provide additional spiritual support and resources while you are in the hospital.
Chaplains respect your individual spirituality and they are knowledgeable about the developmental and spiritual issues unique to children. As members of the multidisciplinary care team, we work closely with nurses, physicians, social workers, child life specialists, and others who care for your child and family.
Our Pediatric Chaplain, Rev. Ann G. Haywood-Baxter, as well as our other staff chaplains, help people explore and use their spirituality to get through hard times, and to celebrate good days. “Chaplain Ann” is an interfaith minister who visits the pediatric in-patient units and responds to referrals from the out-patient clinics. She is available to meet you Monday through Friday during daytime hours.
In addition to our Pediatric Chaplain, chaplains representing a variety of faith traditions are available to offer faith-specific ministry. The MGH Chaplaincy includes a rabbi, an imam, Roman Catholic priests, Buddhist practitioners, an officiant of Ethical Culture, and protestant clergy. We have two chaplains who speak Spanish.
Chaplaincy services are available twenty-four hours a day. An MGH staff chaplain is always available on day, evening, night, and weekend shifts.
To request a chaplain, visit please call the Chaplaincy Office directly at 617-726-2220.
When you are in the hospital, ask your nurse to contact us, or call us directly at 6-2220.
For emergency and time sensitive requests call the MGH Page Operator at 617-726-2000 for assistance with paging the chaplain on call.
Chaplains
- Provide spiritual support
- Build on the resources of your faith
- Give a listening ear
- Offer a prayer
- Minister with song, play, story and art
- Provide or arrange for sacraments and spiritual rituals
- Help you examine questions about your faith or beliefs
- Contact your own clergy person at your request
Chapel
The hospital Chapel is located on the first floor of the Ellison Building, diagonally across from the General Store and Flower Shop. The Chapel is open twenty-four hours a day for meditation, prayer, or quiet reflection.
Chapel Services
- Interfaith Prayer Service: Weekdays at 12:15 p.m.
- Roman Catholic Mass: Daily at 4:00 p.m.
- Buddhist Meditation Sitting: Each Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
- Jewish Healing Service: Eve of Sabbath / Erev Shabbat: Each Friday at 11:00 a.m.
Prayer Requests
If you would like to submit a prayer request to the Chaplaincy staff, you may enter a prayer in the Chapel Prayer Book, located on the table just inside the Chapel doors. Prayers are read aloud at the Interfaith Prayer Service, held weekdays at 12:15 p.m.
Masjid
The hospital Masjid (Muslim Prayer Room) is located in Founders 109, near the hospital Chapel. The Masjid is open twenty-four hours a day. A prayer schedule is posted outside the Masjid. The Friday 1:00 p.m. prayers are held in the Thier Conference Room.
We are on TV
Channel 16, our in-house channel on your hospital television, provides a free broadcast of Chapel Services as well as meditative music throughout the day. Join us from your hospital room if you are unable to visit the chapel in person.
Devotional Literature
Scriptures and devotional literature from a variety of traditions are available at your request from the Chaplaincy Office.
