WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital’s chapel is an important place of worship, respite and healing for patients, visitors and staff members of all backgrounds and religious denominations. It serves as a tranquil and sacred place where visitors can find solace during some of their most challenging times.
Mindful of the chapel’s important role, WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital recently completed substantial renovations to its chapel to improve the spiritual care experience for its patients, caregivers, and staff.
“The hospital chapel is a center or the heart of the spiritual life of the hospital,” said the Very Rev. Vasyl E. Marchak, Ph.D., manager of Spiritual Care and Education, WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital.
“It provides a holy place where people can come for prayer, meditation or reflection. Many times, it offers a space for people to share their joy, grief and loss.”
Located on the hospital’s second floor, the chapel received a complete aesthetic upgrade that included reupholstered seating, new stain glass art features, a new music and speaker system, and a new podium. The renovations, which totaled $32,467, were made possible by funding from the Gettysburg Hospital Auxiliary.
“We have tried to make the chapel a space that is welcoming to all people. The new stained-glass art pieces featured within the chapel are designed to bring inspiration to visitors and provide them with the opportunity to connect to their spiritual or religious core,” Marchak said.
“We hope the improvements to the chapel offer the possibility for more people to visit or attend services that are provided by the hospital’s Spiritual Care and Education department.”
WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital’s Spiritual Care and Education provides care of the spiritual dimension of the hospital’s patients, caregivers, and staff. In 2019 the department, which includes chaplains, associate-chaplains and clinical pastoral students, provided care and guidance through more than 9,417 encounters with patients, family, and staff.