Spiritual Care
The Support and Services We Provide to Patients and Families
Spiritual care is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Our chaplains are trained to support people from all faith and spiritual traditions, as well as those who have no specific religious or spiritual belief.
Specific services that chaplains provide include the following:
- Religious resources, including sacred texts
- Prayer
- Religious rituals, including baptism
- Emotional support during a difficult day
- Listening and non-judgmental presence when you need to process information or an experience, before or during surgery, or any time you need to talk
- Help with observing your own faith practices
- Assist with contacting clergy or faith leader, if desired
- Support during care conference
- Emotional support during traumas and code events
- Bereavement Support
If you would like to speak with a chaplain at any time during your stay, you can let anyone on your unit know and they can contact us at any time.
Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., you can call our office at (614) 722-5250.
Where Chaplains Can Be Found
The 10 full time staff chaplains can be found Monday through Friday providing spiritual, religious and emotional support in the following areas:
- Hematology/Oncology
- Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
- Ohio Fetal Medicine Collaborative
- Advanced Illness Management Team (AIM Team)
- Hospice
- Educating Chaplain Interns and Residents
Nationwide Children's Hospital Chapel
The Chapel, located in the main lobby, is a place where persons of all faiths, cultures and ages are welcome to come for spiritual renewal. This sanctuary offers hospitality for quiet and personal reflection and is designed to offer comfort and peace.
Worship Services
We have weekly Catholic Mass on Tuesdays at noon and weekly Muslim prayer on Fridays at 1:15 p.m. in the Children’s Chapel in the C Lobby. Patients, families and staff are invited to attend. We also offer special services throughout the year for various holy days and events, which are posted on digital signage throughout the hospital. For more information, please contact us here.
Seasons for Healing Bereavement Program
Seasons for Healing is a Bereavement Support Program available to families after the loss of a child. This program is designed to provide support and resources to all who have experienced the loss of a child or grandchild.
To schedule bereavement support with one of our chaplains, please reach out to GriefSupport@NationwideChildrens.org, or call (614) 722-5250.
Clinical Pastoral Education
The Department of Spiritual Care is accredited by The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) to offer pastoral education. This is an action/reflection process that is grounded in a person-centered approach to ministry. Nationwide Children’s Hospital offers all levels of CPE education – from the initial unit to residency to Certified Educator training. An initial unit from an ACPE accredited center is required for admittance to the residency program. Full and part-time units are available. No person will be denied acceptance based on race, gender, age, faith group, national origin, sexual orientation or disability.
Learn more about Clinical Pastoral Care at Nationwide Children's Hospital ›
Faith Communities Near Nationwide Children's
See all worship options near Nationwide Children's ›St. Mary Catholic Church
684 S 3rd St., Columbus, OH
(614) 445-9668
St. Patrick Catholic Church
280 N Grant Ave, Columbus, OH
(614) 240-5910
The Community of Holy Rosary and St. John
648 S Ohio Ave, Columbus, OH
(614) 252-5926
Catholic Dioceses of Columbus
197 E Gay Street, Columbus, OH
(614) 221-1809
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
555 N High Street, Columbus, OH
(614) 224-9020
St. Gregory of Nyssa Orthodox Christian Church
2219 Summit Street, Columbus, OH
(614) 261-6006
St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Orthodox Church
203 King Ave., Columbus, OH
(614) 297-6900
St. Stevan-Dechani Serbian Church
1840 Cassady Ave., Columbus, OH
(614) 475-0922
Baptist
Mount Olivet Baptist Church
428 E Main Street, Columbus, OH
Fellowship Baptist Church
4701 Winchester Pike, Columbus, OH
University Baptist Church
50 W Lane Avenue, Columbus, OH
Amazing Grace Baptist Church
1288 West Broad Street, Columbus, OH
Church of God
Unity Temple Church of God
52 Reeb Ave, Columbus, OH
(614) 444-7808
Disciples of Christ
Bethany Christian Church
1130 E Livingston Ave, Columbus, OH
(614) 252-2846
Woodland Christian Church
143 Woodland Ave, Columbus, OH
(614) 258-0058
Episcopal
Trinity Episcopal Church
125 E Broad Street, Columbus, OH
(614) 221-5351
Independent
Rock City
38 W Greenwood Ave, Columbus, OH
(855) 318-5685
Stone Village Church
139 E 2nd Ave, Columbus, OH
(614) 579-5493
Vineyard Columbus
6000 Cooper Rd, Columbus, OH
(614) 890-0000
Lutheran
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
766 S High Street, Columbus, OH
(614) 444-4356
Mennonite
Columbus Mennonite Church
35 Oakland Park Ave, Columbus, OH
(614) 784-9002
Presbyterian
Broad Street Presbyterian Church
760 E Broad St, Columbus, OH
(614) 221-6552
Old First Presbyterian Church
1101 Bryden Rd, Columbus, OH
(614) 252-2237
Nazarene
Shepherd Church of the Nazarene
425 S Hamilton Ave, Gahanna, OH
(614) 471-3368
Seventh-Day Adventists
Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church
80 S 18th St, Columbus, OH
(614) 258-0340
United Church of Christ
First Congregational
444 E Broad Street, Columbus, OH
(614) 228-1741
United Methodist
Broad Street UMC
501 E Broad Street, Columbus, OH
(614) 224-2006
Church for All People
946 Parsons Ave, Columbus, OH
(614) 445-7342
Livingston UMC
200 E Livingston Ave, Columbus, OH
(614) 224-2006
First Unitarian Universalist Church
93 W Weisheimer Road, Columbus, OH
(614) 267-4946
Humanist Community Center
4510 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH
(614) 675-5577
Conservative Jewish Synagogue
Congregation Tifereth Israel
1354 E Broad Street, Columbus, OH
(614) 253-8523
Orthodox Jewish Synagogue
Beth Jacob Synagogue
1223 College Ave., Columbus, OH
(614) 237-8641
Congregation Torat Emet
2375 E Main St., Columbus, OH
(614) 238-6778
Reformed Jewish Synagogue
Temple Israel
431 E Broad Street, Columbus, OH
(614) 866-0010
Columbus KTC Buddhist Center
1354 E Broad St., Columbus, OH
(614) 228-6546
Watlao Buddhamamakaram
3624 Bexvie Ave., Columbus, OH
(614) 231-9555
Abubakar Asiddiq Islamic Center
591 Industrial Mile Rd., Columbus, OH
(614) 272-9994
Ahlul Bayt Society
2580 W Dublin-Granville Rd., Columbus, OH
Al-Huda Islamic Center
2100 Courtright Rd., Columbus, OH
(614) 549-7654
Columbus Muslim American Society
4615 Northtowne Blvd., Columbus, OH
(614) 476-1299
Ibnu Taymiyah Masjid and Islamic Center
2334 Mock Rd., Columbus, OH
(614) 418-9137
Islamic Center of Greater Columbus Masjid
1428 E Broad St., Columbus, OH
(614) 253-3251
Masjid As-Salaamah
5259 Cleveland Ave., Columbus, OH
(614) 259-3277
Muslim Community Center
1677 Oak St., Columbus, OH
(614) 252-0338
Nigerian Muslim Community Center
3635 Cleveland Ave., Columbus, OH
(614) 323-4188
Noor Islamic Cultural Center
5001 Wilcox Rd., Dublin, OH
(614) 527-7777
Omar Ibn El-Khattab Masjid
580 Riverview Dr., Columbus, OH
(614) 262-1310
Resources for Clergy and Faith Groups
The Spiritual Care Department is grateful for our clergy and faith group partners who provide care and support to the members of their community when they are hospitalized at Nationwide Children’s. In return, we are available as a resource to you and your community of faith.