A new program starting this fall will help train hospital chaplains and others who provide spiritual care or choose to explore ministerial possibilities.

Courses in Spiritual Care Will Help Meet a Critical Shortfall

At a time when there is a critical shortage of chaplains and the need for ministry is pressing, St. Norbert College is launching new courses in spiritual care.

The new offerings, beginning this fall semester, are provided in collaboration with HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay.

Howard Ebert ’74 (Theology & RS) is director of the program (adding it to his responsibilities for the college’s master’s degrees in theological studies and in liberal studies). He says, “These courses provide the instruction and firsthand experience that are essential in the formation of persons who are able to provide spiritual companionship and guidance at crucial stages of life, be that in hospital, residential, prison or other communal settings.”

Courses will be offered at both an undergraduate and graduate level, providing an opportunity for students, no matter their age or career aspirations, to begin moving into the exploration of expansive and urgent ministerial possibilities.

“These unique courses will advance the skills and knowledge of those who seek to provide spiritual care in a variety of settings and are designed to enhance students’ lives both personally and professionally,” says Mary Salm M.T.S. ’02, director of spiritual care, mission and ethics for HSHS Wisconsin, and an adjunct faculty member at St. Norbert.

Krystal Pold ’21 will be one of the first to enroll. “I have been discerning the possibility of being called to serve as a chaplain and/or health care ethicist,” she says. “What excites me most about these courses is the ability to gain experience and knowledge in a hands-on way at a graduate level. The opportunity to engage in the demands of a health care minister as an undergraduate will hopefully offer clarity on how I wish to continue my education in this field.”

July 28, 2020

Update (Sept. 8, 2020): The new courses in spiritual care are now scheduled to begin in the spring semester.