I will hold their hand and anoint them which can be a very powerful moment

I will hold their hand and anoint them which can be a very powerful moment

27 May 2020

A NEWCASTLE priest is among a small group of chaplains bringing comfort to the sick and dying across Belfast hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Over the last few months Fr Robert Sloan has become well acquainted with the intense heat from wearing PPE on the frontline as he administers the Last Rites to patients suffering from the virus. 

The 44 year-old says he remains touched by the dedication which the NHS staff has shown.

Fr Sloan says it was early on Easter Sunday after returning from a visit to a Covid-19 patient in the Critical Care Unit of the Royal Victoria Hospital that he was struck by their level of commitment. 

He said: “The nurses were just finishing their shift. They were clearly tired and weary from a gruelling stint but stayed on until I had attended to the dying patient and ensured that I was sufficiently protected at every step. 

“The care and love they give to everyone at every moment is palpable. Someone brought in a basket of Cadbury’s creme eggs and it was a simple moment of joy shared by all of us that it was Easter Morning.

“As I drove home I was immensely grateful for having so many examples of charity and faith that I have been witness to over the last several weeks by so many in our healthcare service.” 

Fr Sloan, who has worked as a chaplain for the Royal Group of Hospitals since 2014, could be described as a bridge for loved ones, putting himself in harm’s way as he shares messages of love to coronavirus patients. 

“I will hold their hand, pray with them, anoint them using a cotton bud and bless them, which can be a very powerful moment.

“It’s very moving, including for the staff that accompany me when they can hear the family talking and praying along with me,” said Fr Sloan.

“I’ve had occasions where families from across the world have been able to phone together at the same time and be there as I’m administering the sacraments.

“Even if the family cannot be there physically they can still be connected. 

Fr Sloan, who often finds himself called to the bedside of non-Catholics, said he felt felt privileged.  

He first found his calling for the priesthood while a student at St Patrick’s Grammar School in Downpatrick. He says he feels very happy in his role as chaplain but realises that it isn’t for everyone.

Fr Sloan is one of only two full-time employed catholic chaplains in Northern Ireland in the Northern Ireland Healthcare Chaplains Association (NIHCA), of which he was made president last year.

“We are a small group made up of lay and ordained, employed and voluntary workers and each one of us firmly believe we are chaplains to the whole hospital community – patients and staff, their families, and the wider community, no matter what their beliefs.”

Fr Sloan works in the three main Belfast hospitals – Royal Victoria, City and Mater — as well as Musgrave Park. He also serves as director of the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy.

“My greatest privilege is being invited to bring a listening ear and a empathetic heart – never more so than in these difficult days,” he said.

“I also enjoy the camaraderie of the ecumenical team of chaplains as we often spend time in prayer together and occasionally socialise, sharing in one another’s joys and milestones.”

As well as being a priest, Fr Sloan is also a son, a brother, an uncle and a great-uncle with a loving family of his own and says it is important to him to spend time with them as often as he can.