The Rev. Dr. Regina Christianson, a chaplain at St. Joseph Healthcare in Bangor, connects with patients at the hospital and in hospice to offer spiritual support, pastoral care and much more. Regina was recently at the hospital visiting a patient who was fond of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, which was performing Celtic music outside her hospital room door. The patient told Regina that Celtic music had meant a great deal to her over the course of her life. Regina shared that she played the Celtic harp, and the patient requested that she bring it for the next visit.
Early one morning, Regina received news that the patient was transitioning to hospice care, so she packed up her Celtic harp and hurried to her side. “When I arrived, I anointed the patient, prayed with the family and played several pieces on the harp. As I prepared to depart, her son asked me to play one more piece on the harp. During that piece and in that holy moment, the patient quietly and gently passed,” says Regina.“It is my honor to have served this patient and her family.”
Hospice Angels
Like Rev. Dr. Regina Christianson, we have many in our community who support our hospice patients. Hospice Angels are special St. Joseph Healthcare donors who help support the patients in hospice care and their families. Bob and Maggie Flynn are among them. “St. Joe’s hospice program has for many years made a difference to many people we have known and cared about. It’s why we have been giving. Doing so gives us great joy.” Donations to the hospice program are used to purchase personalized gifts for hospice patients — gifts that will bring them joy and provide them comfort or to acknowledge a family’s loss.