Efforts to re-invigorate the Spiritual Care Coordinator role at three of Altona's care facilities have taken a step forward.

In October, officials with Rhineland Area Ministerial, Gardens on Tenth, and Altona Community Memorial Health Centre - Southern Health-Sante Sud announced a newly forged partnership to bring back the full time, professional position.

Since then, Rudy Franz has been hired to fill the role that now includes the local hospital, Eastview Place personal care home and the Gardens on Tenth Apartments.

Having retired in June after 31 years of pastoral ministry, Franz says he began to realize after some months that he wasn't quite ready to give up all forms of ministry.

"Those were good years, good congregations. I appreciated them so highly and still value them," he said. "I appreciated the life experience that I was able to garner from those life-giving experiences, encounters and relationships I had with those people."

As well, Franz says he also felt a nudge from those around him, and from within.

"I guess it was something that was somewhat persistent in a way that I haven't always experienced...and all things considered, from the time I left the pastoral ministry until now, there were so many things that fell into place that said I need to consider this direction...and see where this goes, and it didn't quite let me go so I said maybe there's something here I need to pay attention to."

According to the agreement, Franz will spend 80 per cent of his time at the health centre and round out the other 20 per cent at Garden On Tenth Apartments.

Having sat vacant for nearly a year, Franz says it's almost like building the role from scratch, which he adds has been made slightly more complex due to the pandemic as current restrictions have him working exclusively at the health centre for now.

"So what I've been doing for the first while is getting to know the people and some of their stories and where they come from, trying to put faces to names as residents and as staff - to get them to know me behind the mask, and that's been a pretty good learning curve," he explained. "But I've had a lot of one-on-one conversations and what I would call one-on-one worship times with people that have been very meaningful and very instructive for myself. I've appreciated the opportunity to be able to do that."

Once restrictions ease, Franz says the plan is to expand the job beyond the typical end-of-life care to include things like devotions and Bible studies.

When asked about the importance of offering spiritual care to residents and patients at these facilities, Franz said he views it as a ministry of presence that involves "care within proximity" and is something he says you can't do from a distance in the same way that you can in-person.

"Which means there's a lot of importance placed on relationships and connection...learning to love people in this place even when they aren't able to visit very well or at all," he explained. He feels there also needs to be a curiosity about learning in the area of suffering, end-of-life care and issues of death and dying because you are walking with people and their families, and staff through that valley.

In addition, Franz points to a desire to respect the dignity and the intrinsic worth of each person who works and lives in the facilities. "Simply considered worthy because all are created in the image of God - precious and worthy in God's sight," he said.

As well, Franz describes a deep sense of needing to learn and to be led, by the residents in what they need.

"Not to presume that I automatically know what they need or how to be helpful, not to dominate or manipulate, but to be someone who encourages and comes alongside," he explained, adding this requires the ability to listen well, to hear what is being said and to ask a lot of questions.

"I think there's also a continued learning curve in simply trusting God in our every day lives, that God will supply wisdom and guidance and that we can meaningfully take one day at a time. I think that is called upon all of us to do," he said. "And I wish that for people as we continue to navigate not only this time but all of our lives."

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