Spirituality has been a part of patient care at Johns Hopkins since the institution was founded over a century ago. The Hospital's founder and benefactor was raised in the Society of Friends (better known as the Quakers). The hallmark of Quakers' spirituality is their affirmation of one's "Inner Light." This inner light is seen as having nothing at all to do with creeds or religious practices; instead every human being is seen as a shrine and alter to God. Today at Hopkins, full-time chaplains, support staff, chaplain interns and residents, as well as a network of community clergy and lay people from a variety of religions, are available to provide patients and families of all faiths pastoral and spiritual care, sacramental ministries, advanced directive consultation and other support services. If you are a patient, or a family member or friend of a patient, the hospital chaplain is available to provide for your emotional and spiritual needs. To speak with the chaplain, arrange a visit, or to request a cleric of a particular faith, please call 410-955-5842 during the day. Evenings and weekends, ask your nurse to contact a chaplain. Your own cleric is always welcome at the hospital. An interfaith chapel for private prayer and meditation open 24 hours a day is located on the first floor of the Hospital in a corner of the Children�s Center lobby. Another interfaith chapel, also always open, is located off the main lobby in the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Building, which houses the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, as well as a medical and surgical pavilion. Department of Pastoral Care at Johns Hopkins
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
600 North Wolfe Street, Blalock 173
Baltimore, Maryland 21287-4170 USA
410-955-5842 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays, EST)
410-955-4331 (Evenings, weekends and holidays)
| The "Christus Consolator" or "The Divine Healer" statue, shown above, is located in the lobby of the domed Billings Administration Building at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. |
The "Christus Consolator" or "The Divine Healer" statue, shown above, is located in the lobby of the domed Billings Administration Building at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
The "Christus Consolator" or "The Divine Healer" statue, shown above, is located in the lobby of the domed Billings Administration Building at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. A gift to the Hospital by one of its trustees, William Wallace Spence, the statue is a replica of a work from 1820 by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorwaldsen. The original statue stands on the high altar of the Cathedral in Copenhagen. There, on either side of the statue, along the walls, stand the 12 Apostles. The angel Gabriel, holding the baptismal font, completes the group of figures.
Why the nonsectarian hospital founded by a Quaker acquired the religious symbol is open to speculation, but the day it opened in 1889, Daniel Coit Gilman, the first Hospital and University president, publicly voiced a wish that a copy of Thorwaldsen's work be donated and placed in the Hospital's rotunda. It is believed the gift was sought to offset criticism from the more conservative element in late 19th century Baltimore that the hospital had no religious affiliation. Between 1894 and 1896, the replica of the Christus Consolator was sculpted for the Hospital. Theobald Stein, director of the Royal Academy of Arts in Copenhagen, was commissioned to do the job. The statue, cut from a single block of Carrara marble, was unveiled at the Hospital on October 14, 1896. Over the years, the statue has served as a focal point in various Hospital traditions and commemorative events, from farewell ceremonies for the Hopkins Hospital Units in World War II to an annual Christmas caroling service. At the base of the statue an inscription reads: "Come unto ME
All Ye That Are Weary And Heavy Laden
And I Will Give You
REST" For some, the statue of Christus Consolator is a sign of spiritual comfort and hope. For others, it is a symbol of compassion and caring. |
